[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 8]
[House]
[Page 11776]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




               PRIDE PARADE FESTIVAL IN ISTANBUL, TURKEY

  (Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York asked and was given permission 
to address the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise to express 
my deep concern over the atrocities that recently occurred at this 
year's pride parade in Istanbul, Turkey.
  For years, the Turkish LGBT community and their supporters have been 
able to partake in one of the few permitted pride parades in the Muslim 
world, but this year this peaceful parade was broken up when police 
dispersed the parade with tear gas, rubber bullets, and water cannons, 
reminiscent of the worst full countertactics of the American civil 
rights movement.
  LGBT pride gatherings are peaceful, focusing on love and solidarity 
and the human rights of all people, including LGBT people, which is a 
stark contrast to the unnecessary and brutal violence endured by those 
parade-goers.
  This past May I had the opportunity to visit the brave LGBT activists 
in Turkey and to speak to them about their hopes for a better 
community.
  As a member of the LGBT community and of the Congressional Equality 
Caucus, I am deeply disturbed by the way in which such a positive 
festival was received by the Turkish Government.
  Turkey has long expressed, by its commitments to the Organization for 
Security and Co-operation in Europe, its dedication to freedom of 
assembly and freedom of speech. Turkey is a NATO ally. Its actions are 
at odds with these previous commitments to freedom.
  I am urging this Congress to join me in condemning these actions. 
Today we will send a letter signed by more than 50 Members of this body 
to the Turkish Ambassador, expressing our outrage by these actions and 
our support of the Turkish people.

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