ANNEXES
Table des Matières des Annexes :
Annexe 1 : Entretien avec Hilal, 35 ans, militante
à Amargi
Annexe 2 : Entretien avec Anne, 30 ans, militante
à Lambda
Annexe 3 : Article du rapport de Human Rights Watch «
He loves you, he beats you »
Annexe 1:
INTERVIEW of Hilal (35 ans, Amargi)
YOU
1. Can you present yourself briefly? (Age, study, job,
parental job, religion, origin)?
No I don't have any religion. My name is Hilal. I am 35 years
old. I am a feminist. And I make graphic design. It's my profession. I like
speaking Spanish, I try to learn Spanish now. I have a lot Hobbies, I like
walking around (rire). I don't know (about my origin) I don't think so. My
grand grand father was lost in the 1st World War. So we came from
Azerbaïdjan, there are any Kurdish village there. So I am not sure, maybe
I have some Armenian blood... Actullay when I ask to my grandfather he said I
don't know...so (rires). I am born in Istanbul. My father's job? He is an
accounter. She was an accouter before, now she is housewife.
2. Do you feel feminist? What does it mean for you be a
feminist?
For me feminism is to liberate myself. And to liberate myself it
doesn't mean that I can do whatever I want, for me liberating myself is to
recognize what I really want , how I construct myself inside, and what are my
will, so recognizing this and start to practis this is very important. Because
there are physically boundaries outside in women worlds. but also each one of
us have our own blocks and boundaries in our minds. So It was a big choc and
surprise for me in my life when I was 30 years old and I was recognize that, a
lot of stuff that I would like to make, but I didn't have enough confidence,
and I didn't believe. But when I start to be in solidarity with women, and I
start to trust with someone, and to be trusted, I realized that I liberated
myself, I started liberating myself. So I started to change my life bit by bit,
this Feminism for me really. And I found it in a feminist organization.
THE ASSOCIATION:
3. How long are you in Lambda? How did you come in this
association, how did you begin to involve you in this organization?
It has been 9 years, when I started to come to Amargi. In some
of the period I was far away because I was working in Asian sea, I mean I was
working 9pm to 6am, or much more . So I couldn't be activist enough. But Then,
I mentioned previously that I started to change my life, so I became a Free
lancer, I quit my job, I made lot of changes in my life. Now I am more inside
activism, and I am producing(...)
4. Could you present shortly the association? What are the
main Ideas? How much members there are? What kind of action?
I can speak for now. Now we are maybe 80/90/100 members. But the
activists are maybe 20. Amargi is just like me. Amargi was turning, changing,
and improving. So it's a feminist organization, so it's women and some
transgender persons include. And the general Ideas... Amargi is a woman
cooperative against patriarchy; struggle against patriarchy, and against other
systems which works with patriarchy like militarism, capitalism,
fundamentalism, and
this kind of things. And Amargi is a kind of association that
works in working groups with women or trans inside with their own wills and
initiatives to produce some kind of work, or protest, or action, whatever it
is. I feel myself to produce any kind of stuff. But also before, like my life,
Amargi was also producing different kind of studies or actions before.
(Are there any kind of Hierarchy in this organization?)
We try not to make but of course there are. I mean it's an
anti-hierarchical organization, it doesn't have any president or director or
whatever it is. But since you work together in all kind of works, in the
connection, communication between women they can be hierarchy but we have
enough sincerity to try to change that at least.
5. What is your role in the association?
No I don't have any role. I mean I make design of Amargi,
because it's my job of course, but I made a lot of other stuff also.
6. Do you think feminist/ LGBT activism is accessible to
everybody? (... is that any woman could involve here in this
organization?)
Mmmh. Good question. It's depending. I think it's not accessible
enough. It's not acceptable enough, it's still marginal. It's still in the
society. I mean women Rights started to be normalized. It has both advantages
and disadvantages so I cannot decide if it's good to be accessible or not. But
when women started to ask questions about patriarchy in their own world they
can access in a way to a feminist organization.
7. In general are the Action of Amargi/Lambda ended in
failure or success? How can you estimate it? And what is your feeling after an
action? Are you happy?
I cannot decide if it's failure or success. Because sometimes we
started something and we didn't finish, sometimes we couldn't.
8. Which reaction people have to your actions? There
are positive and negative reactions. PUBLIC OPINION/
SOCIETY:
9. In your opinion what do people think of feminism in
general and LGBT people (which stereotypes people have?)), and more
specifically what do people think on your association, on your actions?
Well I don't know, I think for the last 9 years, Amargi has a
name in its environment. I mean even my mom think that Amargi is good thing
now. It's mean that Amargi made a name. I can't say what people think about
Feminism in general but yes there are some Myths about feminism and feminists.
And they remain in the stay, that feminism are lesbians, feminists are ugly,
feminists are hating men especially, still in Turkey there are a period,
newspaper, and intellectuals can make this kind of stereotype. Stupide
(rires).
10. Have you ever been confronted with a danger as an
activist? Or as feminist women/ LGBT people? (on the street, during an action?,
family, work?)
Well for physical danger I made it (stage de self defense?) one
of for 4 years. It's came really well for me. It's was good for me. I felt so
strong. And when I walk in the street now, I feel more confident. But because I
am an activist, I am a feminist.
It's not depending of if you are feminist or not (c'est pas
écrit sur ta tête). I am feeling the danger around, but always
focusing on the danger, it does'nt...It make you sick I mean (rires). I am not
trying to focus this too much. But of course when we are making demonstration,
we are obligated by the police. This kind of danger.. (paper gaz/ lacrimo), but
I never have been taken in police station for last ten years. Of course it's
depend. And I have been insulted in the street when I am a feminist or when I
am not a feminist, it doesn't make any difference.
And With the Family.. Everybody's Family want the same thing,
want that you get married, or authorities, this kind of stereotype stuff. It
depends if you call youself feminist or not. I know a lot of women who doesn't
call themselves feminist but they are really feminists. It's depend of the
practicing your lives or the thing that you ...in your life.
COSTS/RETRIBUTION OF ACTIVISM:
11. Are you involved in other associations outside of
Lambda? ( in other political parties? or for Hobby?)
Yes I am in autonom group, called Illet. I am in Illet in the
same time. It's an LBT autonom, but in inself it's just autonom yes, that
people come together, and we are not making identity politics, or lesbian, or
trans, or bisexual..But last year after the pride week we have just occurred
the women (..) and we sarted to produce something together.and it's not only on
including, lesbian, tran, or bisexual. The main issue is about LBT rights, this
queer and feminist perspective.
12. Do you think that you will stay in the association over
the long term?
Well Amargi is my first organization. It's the only organization
I have participated. I was 26 or something. I don't think I will go to another
association like Mor Cati, or such feminist collective because every
organization work about something which is very important. For me in the women
movement, feminist organizations are making a lot of stuff. You can focus on
the Cati or the publishing, or whatever. Everything has been done is so much
important. I don't want to be this kind of identity. I learn all from Amargi
and how not to be a member of Amargi? I don't have this kind of identity, for 3
years. For me Personal leaving are important, Personality and solidarity. So I
don't think I will change amargi because I think I change Amargi. It's
something like that.
13. Was your involving in the association always the
same?
Well As I said, I am inside, And I am outside, But I am not
seeing myself as a part of Amargi. Of course I am a part of Amargi, but also
Amargi is a part of me. Every old member of Amargi is feeling this way. We use
Amargi to make our wishes come to, to make our dreams. If I need to be away
from amargi for just respire or come to myself, I stay away from Amargi. It's
good for myself and at the same time it's good for Amargi.
14. Do your involving take a lot of time, place in your
life? Do you manage to do everything with job/personal life/Family?
To be an activist in Turkey is very very difficult. It takes a
lot of your time. It' doesn't give you a kind of money, so you have to work.
Because the association doesn't take fond from the government. The state
doesn't give you money. So it's double or triple hard if you want to do
something. It's very difficult. If you have some projects you have to search
for fond. And the working circunstances in Turkey is hard. So you work 8 hours,
10 hours, 12 hours.. So when you work like this it's very difficult to organize
other stuff. And in amargi when we make meeting, we make meeting after 7 O'
Clock. So they finished at 11 O'Clock, or midnight sometimes. You cannot make
every profession, if you are an activist, or just if your parents are
rich...It's something that middle class can do. But for the working class it's
really I think difficult.
15. What is the atmosphere in the Lambda/Amargi? And how is
your relationship with other members of the association? is that it's more
friendly, familial...?
Yes with some of them I feel we are like a Family. With some of
them I am not very close. But mostly I love people in Amargi. And I change my
life with some of people in Amargi in being in contact. I mean it's not only
me, but I also observe the other, how they change their life. It's very
important for our motivation. I feel very deep feeling about Amargi. And I like
working really so hard to survive Amargi. That's why it's so important for me.
That's the point when you start to giving from yourself to such place to
survive not to be close. Yes I am feeling like it's a part of me. No I come
only once in a week because I am trying to make my other work out.
But in kadikoy or in other places I meet with my friends from
Amargi also. So yes we are like a family for me.
POLITIC:
16. What about your political opinion?
Well to be a feminist is political enough for me. And my
political opinion of course has a feminist perspective. Because with my
feminist context I can answer a lot of questions. Because I don't think
feminism is determinism of movement. Sometimes it's too much political for me.
But of course because I am a feminist I am in solidarity with other
discriminated groups, who have the same culture, the emigrants women workers,
anti-militarism, anarchist women..
17. Do you will vote for the next election in June?
I think about voting.
18. Do you think that activism is a way to participate in
the political life of Turkey?
There are all the same. There are too much patriarchy inside,
there are too much masculinity a large part of what I have struggle for.
ENDLY/
19. Open question: How do you see your future as a feminist
or LGBT activist? (Do you think that for example it's going to be positive,
that minds are changed, or the contrary, there is still much work to
do?)
For me there will not have happy point, that we will be
finished and go, that there will be no patriarchy...For me freedom is
important, and everybody's freedom is important. So liberating women is
important for liberating man, and everybody, and I am just struggling for this.
What is important for me, is how I get that in own roads, so I focus my present
time also not focus of some kind of(..) for the future. So every day I am
leaving, every night I am passing I try to be happy of it and also I liberate
myself, and I (..) and I am not making activism to say someone to make
something. I just am doing it for myself. So that is my life (rires).
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