Free health support for trans guesthouse from Besiktas Municipality

Additional support has come from the Besiktas Municipality for the Trans Guesthouse, which was opened by Istanbul LGBTI for trans women who are elderly or find themselves in difficult circumstances, and which in recent days has been expanded with the contribution of Trans Angels, a trans solidarity group across Turkey.

As part of the right to social service and health, the Besiktas Municipality began to offer free and anonymous health service to trans women lodging at the guesthouse. The first of the health screenings scheduled to be conducted periodically each month took place last Friday. Municipal health personnel came to the guesthouse and gave the trans women medical check-ups.

Sedef Cakmak: Right to health and shelter are two key issues

SPoD LGBTI (Social Policies, Gender Identity and Sexual Orientation Studies Association) activist Sedef Cakmak, one of the Besiktas Municipality mayoral consultants personally overseeing the health screening, made a statement about her work to kaosGL Noting that as the Besiktas Municipality they would continue to support LGBTI people’s fight for equal citizenship, Cakmak continued her remarks as follows:

“Health and shelter are one of the two most important issues for the LGBTI movement as well. In spite of the fact that Tarlabasi is not within the borders of the Besiktas Municipality, the LGBTI issue inevitably encompasses all Istanbul. Since we have made progress on the way to becoming an LGBTI-friendly municipality, we will try to deliver health services to our friends who have needs in this area.”

“The Besiktas Municipality will continue to work for LGBTI rights”

Emphasizing that they are planning the future continuation and expansion of their services, which began with health screening, Cakmak said, “In the Besiktas Municipality, our education efforts concerning LGBTI rights will continue as well. We conducted a training effort with the participation of the mayor and deputy mayors. It was eye-opening for us.”

Finally, Cakmak stressed that in the Besiktas Municipality efforts to meet the needs of LGBTI persons will continue, and announced the good news that they will conduct separate training efforts, related to their areas [of responsibility], for the municipality’s various directorates.

Trans women benefit from the Besiktas Municipality’s social assistance

Ejder Narsap, who is in charge of Istanbul LGBTI’s local administrative policy and is at the same time an employee of the Besiktas Municipality, recalled that he was offering social assistance to three trans women in need who live in the Besiktas Municipality. Emphasizing that this social service in fact is one that should already exist, Narsap spoke as follows:

“After determining the health needs of the Trans Guesthouse, we got into contact with the Besiktas Municipality, and the municipality said that it would help out in this matter. Today we see the result of this.”

Explaining that trans women’s participation in local administrations and social life was very important and necessary, he remarked that “in the days ahead, we plan to conduct social and cultural activities as well for the guesthouse, also with the support of the municipality.”

Source: Kaos GL