A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT LGBT RIGHTS AND ACQUISITIONS: EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKEY
A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT LGBT RIGHTS AND ACQUISITIONS: EUROPEAN UNION AND TURKEY

Author(s): Gaye Gökalp Yılmaz
Subject(s): Gender Studies, Geography, Regional studies, Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, EU-Legislation
Published by: Transnational Press London
Keywords: EU; Turkey; LGBT; rights; comparative look;
Summary/Abstract: Same sex relationships have been an issue of debate through years beginning from ancient Rome and Greece. Especially homosexuality has been visible part of historical struggle of LGBT movement. On the other hand, masculinity have always been an issue of power and therefore, decisions based on masculinity and hetero-normative codes have been neglecting and sometimes criminalizing same sex relationships in history of Europe. Religious authorities were also other actors in criminalizing homosexual relationships and religion have been a matter of issue while considering same sex acts. Within that framework, history of Europe, was not an era of liberation for homosexuals or lesbians until recent decades. However, it must be highlighted here that criminalizing and punishing LGBT people of the time were common in many historical empires of Europe. Moreover, France have decriminalized homosexuality during Napoleon era and Netherlands have favored more tolerating laws of French administration. However, Germany after its retarded unification, have been harshly punishing homosexual acts under Prussian empire (Kollman and Waites, 2009:2).

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