Turkey’s government is pushing a new law that would further marginalize LGBTQ+ people, criminalizing public expressions of queer identity and making gender transition even more difficult. The proposal, part of the government’s “Year of the Family” initiative, aims to amend Turkey’s Civil and Penal Codes by introducing the term “biological sex” and restricting trans rights.
If passed, the bill would raise the minimum age for gender transition from 18 to 21 and impose extreme medical requirements, including proving “permanent infertility.” The process would also be subjected to year-long state-controlled assessments. Even more alarming, the law would criminalize “promoting behaviors contrary to biological sex,” punishable by up to four years in prison—effectively targeting Pride events, queer advocacy, and even same-sex ceremonies.
LGBTQ+ activists fear this bill is a direct attack on queer existence itself. “A trans person who hasn’t completed legal transition or someone defying gender norms could be prosecuted,” warns lawyer Kerem Dikmen from Kaos GL, a leading Turkish LGBTQ+ rights group. The bill also revives a 2017 law, previously struck down, that forced trans people to undergo sterilization.
Under President Erdoğan’s rule, queer communities in Turkey have faced increasing repression. Pride marches have been banned since 2015, police crackdowns are frequent, and government-backed anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric has intensified. If this bill passes, it will mark one of the harshest legal assaults on LGBTQ+ rights in modern Turkey—further isolating a community already under siege.
I
You may also like
-
Brussels Pride 2026 shines brighter with Rainbow Village
Brussels Pride is not only a march or a party: it is also a chance
-
Gay and bi Latinos are meeting at Yuca Latina this Sunday
Brussels’ Latin queer community has a new excuse to gather this weekend. On Sunday 3 May, Gays
-
Brussels Dyke March returns to the streets on 15 May
Brussels’ Dyke* March returns on Friday 15 May 2026, bringing lesbians, trans, bi, pan and questioning dykes* back
-
Brussels Pride 2026: the key moments in one clear agenda
Brussels Pride 2026 stretches across a full week, not just a single march. With its 30th
-
Alexandre dances through the ruins of Lebanon
In Lebanon, even the act of dancing can become a political gesture. In a recent