Conducted by KAOS GL, this report explores the challenges faced by LBGTQI+ individuals in accessing crisis support after February 2023 earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria. It investigates how local organisations have been able to provide support and the gaps that still remain.
- Organisations which operated in the earthquake-affected areas and were responsible for institutional policies development often fail to adequately include LGBTQI+ individuals and refugees.
- Even though LGBTQI+ individuals and refugees are referred to specialised CSOs, they often hesitate to reach out due to the absence of the aforementioned policies.
- Most of the CSOs that declared that they do not discriminate against LGBTQI+ individuals or refugees had no real experience working with these groups.
- There were no protective or supportive measures in place to address human rights violations against LGBTQI+ individuals, forcing them to conceal their identities. As a result, CSOs struggled to reach them to provide support, while those who disclosed their identities, as well as refugees, were left unprotected and vulnerable to violence.
About KAOS GL
KAOS GL is the first official LGBTQI+ association in Türkiye. The Association organises activities in social, cultural and academic fields to promote the human rights of the LGBTQI+ community and provide visibility. In 2008, KAOS GL started its direct activities regarding the problems of LGBTQI+ refugees, reporting on the problems, and providing social and legal consultations, cultural activities and reports.
KAOS GL’s Academic and Cultural Studies Programme organises symposiums, forums, exhibitions, and anti-homophobia meetings with regular academic publications and develops queer alliances to create an impact in the transformation of the political and cultural axis.