LAMBDA Meeting

Lambdaistanbul LGBTİ Dayanışma Derneği / Lambdaistanbul LGBTI Solidarity Association or simplay LAMBDA is an Istanbul-based NGO that works across various social sectors that deal with the LGBT community in Turkey. They hold weekly english meetings for anyone that wants to join. So some IFPers and I attended one of these meetings in which we discussed the changing culture of the LGBT community in Istanbul (and probably around the world) in terms of social media apps. In other words, the locals at the meeting were discussing a decline in patrons to local gay bars as people are able to meet others online, without having to go into a bar and are therefore skipping the whole social interaction that comes along with socializing at a drinking establishment. 

I fathom that this is both good and bad; social media mobile applications have made it easier for anyone, even those who have never met LGBT people, to socialize and further their inquiry into the LGBT community and the issues that come with it. This means that in a conservative country like Turkey, a young person can be connected with others around him/her and form at the very least a pen-pal relationship. Furthermore, it allows for people to come together and meet face-to-face despite having no other relation to one another. This is particularly important in cities other than Istanbul since, as I have been told by Turks, they are much more conservative and usually there is no 'gay' or 'gay-friendly' establishments that could render a comfortable meeting spot for these individuals. 

On the the other hand, social media apps have made people within the community more secluded as they don't have to socialize in public gatherings anymore and therefore are less likely to interact with people of different sectors within the same LGBT community. For example, gay men and transgender people might have less interaction as they are more likely to seek people within the same social circles. That's not to say that there will not be any cross-socialization, but it does mean that they will be less likely to 'run into' each other casually in gay establishments. The meeting was extremely interested in it furthered my knowledge of the LGBT community and situation here in Istanbul. Indeed it was a great opportunity to meet locals who are involved in the movement.