Making lesbian space at the edge of Europe: Queer spaces in Istanbul

Abstract

There is limited research regarding queer spaces in Turkey, and even less on lesbians because women have struggled to have an active public presence in Turkey. Accordingly, lesbian spaces are more embodied and less explicitly visible in public spaces than in the West. This study aims to make the invisible more visible by examining the space-making strategies of the lesbian community during the late 20th and early 21st century when lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) activism reached a high point in Turkey. In particular, we examined the ways that lesbians challenged narrow conceptions of “territoriality,” through their use of spaces such as bars, homes, and restaurants in one neighborhood across time, by reviewing print media archives with LGBTQ coverage and interviewing a sample of activist lesbian women who participated in the lesbian scene in Istanbul during this period. Our findings reveal that lesbians opted to live in Beyoglu due to its multicultural and welcoming character, and formed their businesses as venues to socialize as well as serve LGBTQ clientele. They also expanded the openness of gay bars in the district and opened their houses for home parties within the lesbian community. Furthermore, they used all these arenas as meeting places for lesbian activist support groups.