Posted on 06/30/2014 9:05:41 PM PDT by BurningOak
Hundreds of thousands of people celebrated the LGBT communitys 22nd Pride Parade in Istanbul yesterday.
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.
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The United Kingdom Consulate displayed the LGBT flag on its building near Istiklal Avenue. The US consul, Charles Hunter, also expressed his support for the community: I am also gay and here I am in the pride parade of the LGBT people.
(Excerpt) Read more at aydinlikdaily.com ...
The rise of Islamic rule by democratic means in Turkey is a reaction by the rural areas to the “liberalization” of the urban areas. Satellite TV brought in the glitz, glamour and porn to Turkey in the 1990’s.
Its amazing that the Islamic democratically elected Erdogan government tolerated this protest. They’ve been putting down every other demonstration recently.
I guess they can tolerate whatever won’t attack the government directly.
Are there any heterosexuals in the diplomatic sewrvice? ANY?
Maybe in Istanbul, but go east or south of Ankara and things get more fundamental.
So that's the opposite of what I expected. You're saying TV riled them up instead of turning them into feckless couch potatoes.
I’m no expert on Turkey, I have my degree in media studies and I am fascinated by international media and media history.
The rise of the AK party and their challenge to the secualarist westernized parties followed the media expansion in Turkey from the handful of government only television channels broadcasting 12 hours or less Turks with TV watched in the 1960’s and 70’s.
I understand from US military that served in Turkey that there was always prostitution or porn there, but the rise of 24-hour satellite TV enabled it to be put in people’s faces and it appears Islamic elementsn reacted influenced by events to the southeast decided to take the democratic system and try to win power that way.
In the end, they succeeded.
For example, I think McLuhan's old distinction of radio as hot and TV as cool has turned out to be bunk.
People spend hours consuming media and they are changed by it.
Media consumers, their family members and society as a whole are affected by it causing a disturbance in the culture.
Political and or religious forces can come into the void and offer the “solution” to the disturbance.
Like the motion of the solar system (basically stable solution to differential equations), or a nuclear bomb chain reaction (unstable Markov chain).
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