Thousands march in Turkey to demand ban on LGBTQ groups

ISTANBUL (AP) — An anti-LGBTQ group marched Sunday in Istanbul, demanding that LGBTQ associations be shuttered and their activities banned, in the largest demonstration of its kind in Turkey.

Several thousand people joined the demonstration dubbed “The Big Family Gathering.” Kursat Mican, a speaker for the organizers, said they had gathered more than 150,000 signatures to demand a new law from Turkey’s parliament that would ban what they called LGBTQ propaganda, which they say pervades Netflix, social media, arts and sports.

Hatice Muge, who works as a nanny, came to the gathering from Bursa province.

“People are here despite the rain for their children, for future generations,” she said, urging the Turkish government to take action. “They should save the family, they should save the children from this filth."


Turkish demonstrators chant slogans while holding Turkish flags and banners that read, " Say stop to the non gendered society project", " The family is our civilization's foundation, protecting family is a national security issue" and " Protect your family and generation from global fan", during a anti LGBTI+ protest, in Fatih district of Istanbul, Sunday, Sept. 18, 2022. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)
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