'We will defend our right to live, the science, and enlightenment!': Communist LGBTs

Communist LGBTs in Turkey issued a statement upon the statements of President of Religious Affairs Ali Erbaş targeting LGBTs and reacted to all kinds of epidemic opportunism including LGBT hostility.
Sunday, 26 April 2020 16:59

Ali Erbaş, President of Religious Affairs in Turkey, stated on Friday sermon that homosexuality causes diseases and Islam accepts adultery as the biggest sin. Upon Erbaş's statements, Communist LGBTs issued a release, reacting all kinds of epidemic opportunism including LGBT-phobia. Communist LGBTs stated that as equal citizens they will continue to defend their right to live, the science, and enlightenment. The full statement is as follows:

Along with the coronavirus pandemic, all the shame and dishonor of today’s social order have been revealed. As the fragility and the weakness of commercialized health systems became obvious, we have also witnessed how the working class is mercilessly left to die.

That is not the only point, though. Pandemic has triggered all aspects of discrimination embedded in the capitalist system, such as racism, xenophobia, and so on. We read news about the harassment of refugees and intensifying of domestic violence against women and children.

And finally, it was verified once again that LGBT-phobic reaction never missed the opportunity: Ali Erbaş, the Head of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, brought the subject up to the “maleficence of homosexuality” in the sermon he read yesterday. Benefitting from the occasion of the national mobilization against coronavirus, he pronounced sentences cursing LGBTs.

We are quite familiar with his LGBT-phobic assaults carried out at every possible opportunity he found. Besides, this religious fundamentalism is not one of a kind and we know that quite well, too. All over the world, religious fundamentalists continue to bring unscientific explanations to the pandemic. Thereby, they target the individuals whom they consider as a “threat” against their interests and the social order which they benefit from. For instance, American pastors could dare to declare the pandemic as a punishment given because of “transsexual kids” and “the sins of the LGBTs”. In an era where scientists from all over the world are struggling to find the appropriate treatment and vaccine, it is obvious that there is no ground for such statements. The main reason why such statements can still be delivered is clear: Capitalism, even during the pandemic, feels the need for the stupefaction of masses with the help of reaction.

LGBTs, who are already and substantially excluded from healthcare systems, are further deprived of their fundamental rights during the pandemic. Moreover, these hostile statements will certainly contribute to aggravate the mistreatment of LGBTs, who are equal citizens of this country as everyone else.

We are sure that humanity will overcome this pandemic. However, any kind of “pandemic opportunism”, including LGBT-phobia, will never be forgotten.

We, as equal citizens, will continue to defend our right to live, the science, and enlightenment!

Communist LGBTs