‘Biggest Campus-Centered Pride Parade of Middle East and Balkans’ by METU Students

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Making a statement upon the university presidency banning 8th METU Pride Parade and 2nd METU Pride Week events, Middle East Technical University (METU) Student Organizations have said, “We do not accept the lgbti+ discrimination, which is the last wave of crackdowns, we declare that we stand behind the struggle for LGBTI+ freedom, which is a struggle for a fundamental human right, and call on everybody to paint the school to rainbow!”.

METU LGBTI+ Solidarity announced that the METU Pride Parade will be held on May 11 at 5 p.m. and said, “We are overcoming the obstacles, marching towards freedom”.

Asserting that the university presidency has targeted the METU LGBTI+ Solidarity, the 54 student organizations said, “The presidency is the number 1 addressee for any dangers that the students may be exposed to due to its statement”, and urged the presidency to apologize to students.

The presidency had banned the parade via e-mail

While METU LGBTI+ Solidarity was preparing to organize the Pride Week and Parade in the campus from May 7 to 12, university administration sending an e-mail to all students stated that “the events won’t be allowed”.

Stating in the aforementioned e-mail that METU LGBTI+ Solidarity is not an organized formed within the scope of university circular, the administration stressed the LGBTI ban that Ankara Governorship announced on November 18, 2017.

METU Student Organizations underscored that “the presidency stated in the e-mail that it doesn’t recognize METU LGBTI+ Solidarity”. (ÇT/TK)