Thursday March 28th, 2024
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Turkish Gay Wedding Couple Persecuted

A gay couple, who symbolically tied the knot in a wedding ceremony in Turkey last month, is now facing death threats from family members and acquaintances…

Staff Writer

A gay couple that wed last month in Turkey during a symbolic ceremony are now facing major threats.

Ekin Keser and Umrullah Tüzün, or Arab and Kurdish descent respectively, have both lost their jobs and been evicted from their homes since their unofficial wedding ceremony in September, and have faced death threats from family members, according to Hurriyet Daily News.

The couple stood up to social norms and traditions last month and unofficially tied the knot in a boat ceremony in Istanbul, marking the first such (public) ceremony of its kind in Turkey.

Tüzün told Hurriyet, "My family and siblings threaten me with death. When our wedding was featured in the news, our family and friends began rejecting us."

Meanwhile, eight Egyptian men are currently facing trial on charges of "debauchery," after being arrested in connection to a viral video that purported to show Egypt's first gay wedding.

The ceremony, which was also held on a boat on the Nile, saw two Egyptian men exchange rings and kiss in a symbolic ceremony.

The case was pushed to trial despite forensic tests showing "no signs of homosexual activity" in the defendants.

The verdict on the case is set to be announced on November 1.