KAOS GL Lashes Out at TV Homophobia

Turkey's Kaos Gay and Lesbian Cultural Researches and Solidarity Association (KAOS GL) has accused the Radio and Television Supreme Board (RTUK) of "going too far" by recently issuing a caution based on moral grounds, regarding a fashion show screened on a private television station.

RTUK, the highest level authority in Turkey that monitors all radio and television programs, issued a warning on fashion designer Barbaros Sansal's "Pin" program on Haber Turk television channel concluding that Sansal "using the flexible language structure of Turkish, had made jokes related to homosexuality and through these jokes wanted to reflect homosexuality as a legitimate act to the society".

RTUK said this violated the law which said all radio and television broadcasts in the country had to be conducted "in the framework of a public service abiding with general morality".

In a statement on the RTUK warning, KAOS GL said the Board had this time gone too far and "acted according to personal concepts and values" outside of the scope of its authority.

The association argued that legitimacy was a social concept and not to do with laws while there was no legal sanction against homosexuality. It charged RTUK for trying to display homosexuality as "illegitimate" with its decision.

"As an institution carrying out a public service, instead of taking decisions against homosexuals RTUK should show reaction to homophobic programs towards homosexual men and women who are part of the society" the KAOS GL statement said.

Noting that jokes, degradation and insults of homosexuality were wide spread, KAOS GL said "RTUK is watching as sexist and homophobic jokes are branding homosexuality and homosexual citizens, degrading them, making them targets. It is helping these to spread." (TK/II/YE)