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Support Hyperallergic’s independent arts journalism for as little as $8 per month. Become a Member ISTANBUL — When curator Alper Turan and his collaborators from queer and feminist groups around Turkey discuss plans for their upcoming Istanbul exhibition, they have more to consider than which artists to include and how to hang the works. “To be honest, half of our energy is going towards how we can create some safe space — not just for the organizations involved, the artists, and ourselves, but also for the audience,” Turan told Hyperallergic .
“We’re talking about which neighborhood will be safe for them to come to. That is new for me.” Since Turkey’s government cracked down on Istanbul’s once-vibrant Pride March a decade ago, the country’s LGBTQ+ community has become increasingly embattled.
Homophobic rhetoric was a mainstay of President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s re-election campaign last year. Last month, police raided a private party and arrested participants at an LGBTQ+ bar. The streaming site Mubi recently canceled its annual Istanbul film festival after government officials banned a planned screening of the new movie Queer , starring Daniel Craig as a gay expat in Mexico.
“Hearing these constant threats,.