Celebrating Pride is not a crime. Act in solidarity with students in Turkey. | View in browser.

"Pride is a struggle against violence, against hate crimes, all over the world. Pride is a moment where you can express the things you experience in your life; you can be yourself." — Özgür Gür
 

Dear John,

We are Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür, two biology students at METU, the Middle East Technical University in Ankara, Turkey. Over the past few years, we have been organizing numerous marches, meetings and events to grow LGBTI+ awareness and solidarity on campus and beyond. 

But in 2019, the university administration told us that we could not go ahead with our Pride march on campus in May — an event that had taken place every year for nearly a decade. 

On the day, we planned to demonstrate peacefully and celebrate Pride with our rainbow flags and chants, but before we could even gather on the campus lawn, the university administration called the police, who violently attacked us with pepper spray and plastic bullets, arresting 22 students, including the two of us, as well as one of our professors. 

Now we’re on trial and face up to three years in prison if the court finds us guilty. Our next hearing is coming up soon—December 12, 2020.

John, please remind Turkey’s Minister of Justice that peacefully celebrating Pride is not a crime.

This year, our story is part of Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign, in which people like you sign thousands of petitions, write numerous solidarity messages and stand together to fight for justice around the world.

We applaud you for your awareness, and willingness to work for the rights of people far away, whom you may never meet. This selflessness, for us, is the core of activism and it's our strongest weapon against those that want to silence us. 

Please get involved and take action for Write for Rights now.

Together our actions have power. As long as the fighting spirit lives in each and every one of us, there is hope. Thank you all for everything you do, not just for us, but for human rights around the world. 

With love and solidarity, 

Melike Balkan and Özgür Gür, on behalf of Amnesty International 
 

VIDEO: Watch now and support of the METU Pride defenders >>