Behind the Rainbow Association Against Discrimination lies the experience and knowledge of the LGBTI+ movement in Turkey. Before the association, which aims to reinforce the unity of the organizations that make up the association and to increase the sharing environment, many steps were taken to solve common problems.
Chronicles from our history
Between 1998-2004, the " Homosexuals of Turkey Meeting" was hosted by Kaos GL and Lambdaistanbul.
Kaos GL magazine was embraced and supported by all LGBTI+ organizations.
In 2003 and 2004, Kaos GL and Lambdaistanbul acted together in the process of changing the Turkish Penal Code (TCK).
In 2006, a joint action was taken against the attacks against transvestites and transsexuals in Ankara's Eryaman neighborhood.
Organizations supported each other against the obstructive and complicating attitude of the Ministry of Interior's Associations Desk towards LGBTI+ associations. Organizations acted together against closure cases.
In 2006-2010, LGBTI+ organizations came together and held a series of network meetings and produced a strategy paper to develop the practice of acting together. The LGBTI+ Rights Platform was supported between 2007 and 2010 as part of STGM( Association of Civil Development Centre)'s activities to support Networks and Platforms. LGBTI organizations in Turkey came together with the support of STGM and conducted a principles, values and mission study to work together. One of the most recent outputs of this work is the LGBTT Rights Human Rights Report. For 5 years between 2007 and 2011, the Platform reported on human rights violations in Turkey.
Platform member associations have had the experience of working together since 2006 within the context of the "Effective Use of Human Rights Mechanisms for LGBT Individuals" study. This experience paved the way for the establishment of the LGBTI+ Human Rights and Law Commission.
The Commission monitored the closure case against Lambdaistanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association.
The Commission monitored cases involving rights violations against LGBTI+ persons.
As a result of the case reports carried out since 2007, 2007 and 2008 reports were prepared and shared with the public and relevant local and international authorities.
The LGBTI+ Human Rights and Law Commission carried out the campaign " Include 'sexual orientation' and 'gender identity' in the Constitution".
Representatives of LGBTI+ organizations, NGO representatives, members of the media, academics and lawyers came together at a meeting hosted by Lambdaistanbul LGBTI+ Solidarity Association and a "Legal Expert Team" was formed as a result of this meeting.
On June 11-12, 2008, the LGBTI+ Human Rights and Legal Commission decided to re-organize itself as the LGBTI+ Rights Platform at its meeting in Istanbul.
In 2010, the review part of the Constitutional Analysis in the Light of Yogyakarta Principles was completed and the Principles were prepared for publication.
In 2011, at the meeting held in Diyarbakır on March 18-19, it was decided to fight together for the legal rights of LGBTs and to structure the coalition.
Following the removal of the term "sexual identity" from the Draft Law on the Anti-Discrimination and Equality Institution, Hevjin Diyarbakir LGBTT Formation, Istanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association, Women's Gate Association, Kaos GL Cultural Research and Solidarity Association came together in Ankara on March 7, 2011 and in Diyarbakır on March 18-19, Lambdaistanbul LGBTT Solidarity Association, the MorEl Eskişehir LGBTTT Formation, Pink Life LGBTTT Solidarity Association, Black Pink Triangle Izmir Association, Amnesty International Turkey Branch, Voltrans Trans Men's Formation decided to work together to include the phrases "sexual orientation and gender identity" among the grounds for non-discrimination in Article 3 of the Draft Law titled "Principle of Equality and Prohibition of Discrimination". Article 3 of the Draft Law titled "Principle of Equality and formed the Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination.
The Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination was established with the aim of strengthening the capacities of LGBTI organizations and activists, strengthening communication and cooperation among LGBTI organizations, raising awareness on LGBTI rights, and ensuring the effective use of monitoring and reporting mechanisms by LGBTI individuals and organizations. On April 15, 2011, the coalition declared that it was established to advocate and lobby for the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity in the new civil constitution and to empower transgender individuals, the most disadvantaged group among LGBTI individuals, within the LGBTI movement. The establishment of the Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination was initiated by the "Never Again" campaign organized by Pink Life Association and Kaos GL Association. It was decided to be established as a result of the project.
In 2014, with the application of Pink Life, Kaos GL and Black Pink Triangle Associations, the "Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination" project started with the support of Sivil Düşün (SD) Network Platforms.
Founding organizations of the coalition: Pink Life, Kaos GL, Queer Adana, ZeugMadi LGBT, Hevi LGBT, Transsicko, Amnesty International, T-Der Trans Counseling Center Association, Spod LGBT, Keskesor, Malatya Youth Initiative Against Homophobia and Transphobia, Anka LGBT, Kars LGBT Blok, Listag, Akdeniz Pembe Caretta LGBT, İstanbul LGBTTT Solidarity Association, Dersim Roştîya Asmê LGBTI Formation, Trans Solidarity Network, Antakya Fine Arts Association, Siyah Pembe Üçgen İzmir, Yedirenk Mersin LGBT, Voltrans, MorEl Eskişehir, Lambdaistanbul.
Within the scope of the Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination Project, LGBTI+ organizations were supported in 8 cities for 4 years. After the 2017 Ankara bans, the Coalition focused on activities outside of Ankara.
In April 2018, with the secretariat of SPOD, the organizations that make up the network and LGBTI+ organizations and individual activists who are not members of the network but benefit from it came together by organizing an LGBTI+ Assembly meeting. They agreed to support local organizations.
In 2019, the LGBTI+ Assembly meeting was held in Mersin on April 5-6-7 with the participation of Rainbow Coalition Against Discrimination members.
Kaos GL supported the participation of Rainbow Coalition members in Istanbul Pride Week, Izmir Pride Week and Mersin Pride Week events in 2017-2018-2019 within the scope of SİDA project.
Following the discussions within the coalition and discussions on the sustainability of LGBTI+ organizations, members of the Rainbow Coalition SPOD, Kaos GL, Pink Life and activists from Çanakkale LGBTI+ Initiative founded the 17 May Association. One of the main areas where the May 17 Association works is to support the LGBTI community and communities, and the second is to support the sustainability of the LGBTI+ community. In this context, it conducted needs assessment analyses with LGBTI+ organizations at the end of 2020 and has been offering mentor support to organizations in line with these analyses.
The Rainbow Coalition coordination group consists of Pink Life, Young LGBTI+, Bursa Özgür Renkler, Mersin Muamma, SPOD, 17 May Association, Kaos GL.
Since 2017, the coordination has been working for LGBTI+ organizations, which have been under intense pressure since that time, to respond jointly against the oppression. In order to strengthen organizations and initiatives during the pandemic, communication networks were created with online tools called Queerantina, where organizations were informed about each other's activities. The activities of LGBTI+ organizations and communities are supported through this group.
16-18 December 2021 LGBTI+ organizations came together in Izmir with the support of Civil Right Defenders. At the "How are you Lubunya (Queer)" event, the human rights situation of LGBTI+ people was evaluated.
On 26-27 March 2022, LGBTI+ organizations met in Izmir with the hosting of ILGA Europe. In this meeting, the project to be carried out jointly by the European Union and the Rainbow Association Against Discrimination and ILGA Europe was discussed.
On October 19, 2022, before the ILGA Europe Sofia Conference, ILGA European Union and Rainbow Against Discrimination Association and member association representatives came together. In this meeting, possibilities of working together were discussed.
On October 28-30, 2022, a meeting was held in Ankara with the support of Civil Right Defenders with the members of Rainbow Against Discrimination.