MEXICO: Activists Protest Istanbul Pride Attack At Turkish Embassy

On Sunday, police attacked Istanbul Pride attendees with tear gas, water cannons, and rubber bullets, reportedly because the event fell during Ramadan. Yesterday about two dozen Mexican activists protested the attack with a demonstration outside the Turkish embassy in Mexico City. JMG reader Alex sends us his photos, noting, "A prayer for Ramadan was performed by a Muslim woman. She did it over a Pride Flag." (The woman was among the protesters.)

ISTANBUL: Police Attack Pride With Tear Gas, Water Cannons, Rubber Bullets

Al Jazeera reports:

Turkish police have fired water cannon and rubber pellets to disperse a crowd gathered in central Istanbul for the city's annual gay pride parade. The police appeared intent on stopping the crowd gathering near Taksim Square on Sunday, a cameraman for the Reuters news agency reported. Al Jazeera's Serpil Karacan, reporting from Istanbul, said opposition members of parliament formed a human chain to block the riot police. Images and videos posted on social media showed several people carrying gay pride flags running away while being fired upon by a water cannon mounted on an armoured police vehicle. As of 1400 GMT, the protesters have left Taksim Square and the nearby Istikal Street, and the city is "back to normal" according to our correspondent.

In an interview with Al Jazeera, photojournalist Bradley Secker, who is at the scene in Taksim, said the gay pride marchers were "puzzled" by the police action, given that a similar parade on June 21 went on in Istanbul without any incident. According to the AFP news agency, police took action against the crowd when demonstrators began shouting slogans accusing President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of "fascism". No official comment has so far been issued by the government, but there were reports that the parade was stopped as it was Ramadan. However, Karajan said the parade, which has been held over the past 13 years without police intervention, occured peacefully during Ramadan last year.

TURKEY: Men March In Skirts In Solidarity Protest After Murder Of Young Woman

Via the Independent:

Turkish protesters have taken to the streets of Istanbul after men in Turkey and neighbouring Azerbaijan tweeted images of themselves in skirts as a protest against the death of a young female student. The brutal death of 20-year-old Ozgecan Aslan on 11 February provoked a widespread reaction on social media - which has unusually translated into physical action. Ms Aslan died after reportedly fending off a bus driving attempting to rape her. She was beaten and stabbed before being dumped in a riverbed, where her body was eventually discovered. Female Turkish social media users first tweeted out under the hashtag #sendeanlat – translated roughly as ‘tell your story’ – before men in neighbouring Azerbaijan began tweeting out images of themselves wearing skirts under the hashtag #ozgecanicinminietekgiy on Wednesday.

100K Turn Out For Istanbul Pride

Via Aydinlik Daily:

More than 100, 000 people gathered in Istiklal Avenue in Istanbul to celebrate the 22th Pride Parade for the LGBT community on the 29 June, under some strict security measures by the police who blocked the roads to Taksim Square and Gezi Park with water cannons since early morning. Community members, as well their families and loved ones participated in the parade, chanting for the freedom for same-sex marriage and against homophobia. They carried banners that said, “Unconditional Love is Possible.” Most attendees appeared in the parade in glamorous costumes adorned with the colours of the international flag of the community. The crowd shouted slogans against fascism and capitalism, as well, saying ‘Be gone AKP!’ and ‘Legs up Against Fascism!’ and ‘Down with all the shopping centers!’

Openly gay US General Consul Charles Hunter reportedly participated in the parade.

Turkish Court: Gay Sex Is Natural

An Istanbul court has contradicted previous Turkish rulings by declaring that gay sex is "natural" and should be respected.  The decision comes, interestingly, from the prosecution of a man who was caught selling gay porn. Via Gay Star News:

Yesterday’s ruling regarded a trader who was caught selling 125 DVDs of gay and group sex porn. The person, known only by his initials, DM, faced up to four years imprisonment according to article 262/2 of the Turkish penal code that prohibits owning, trafficking, distributing and publishing "unnatural sex" videos. Judge Mahmut Erdemli, however, ruled that sexual orientation can not be considered as ‘unnatural’ and should be respected. The ruling contradicted a previous decision of Turkey’s supreme court that did include gay sex in the category of "unnatural sex." In support of his decision Erdemli cited examples of the legality of gay marriages in Europe and North America. Erdemli differentiated gay sex from necrophilia and bistiality which he agreed were right to be classified as "unnatural."

A spokesman for a Turkish LGBT rights group called the ruling "promising."