Then, the day after the show at a substitute venue at Bosphorus University, the members planned to march in the Istanbul Pride Parade, which had attracted tens of thousands of people in previous years. In 2015, the chorus was forced to find a new location for a concert in Istanbul after the original venue pulled the plug in the face of a public outcry.
On past tours in Central Europe and the Middle East, the chorus’s out-and-proud attitude has provoked protests. It was one of the most welcoming experiences I’ve ever had in my life.” But the chorus enthusiastically embraced Kapitan. Who identifies as nonbinary, had no idea what to expect at his first audition. “We have same-sex marriage, but now we’re fighting for our trans brothers and sisters, and making sure they have equal protection under the law,” says Everage, who joined the chorus in 2002.Īnd some of those trans brothers are singing along.
