Lesbian and Gay Inter-University Organization
Encyclopedia
The Lesbian and Gay Inter-University Organization is an LGBT
organization in Turkey
aimed at university students. It is Turkey
's largest LGBT
organization.
. In LEGATO's early years, they took part in many LGBT
-related activities, such as opening stands in spring festivals, arranging weekly meetings, broadcasting movies, putting up posters, etc.. Thus, many university students were gradually becoming more aware of their own university's gay
community. However, being either a member or founder of either of the groups ruined their chances of graduation.
After keeping quiet, two years later, with the GayAnkara group being the forefoot of the project, LEGATO found life again. As the first stage, on 28 June 2000, email listings opened to 23 universities (84 as of 2006).
LEGATO began to spread out from Ankara
to Istanbul
, starting at Boğaziçi University
. Soon, campus meetings were organized, a website was made, and the group engaged in many cultural activities. Meanwhile, the list of email addresses was expanding, as was the group.
On 20 December 2000 the LEGATOs maintained contact with each other by creating the Legato Ortakliste (Legato union list) and on 10 January 2001 all the LEGATO offices in Istanbul
(more than 60) arranged one big gathering.
On 19 January 2002 none of the universities were able to maintain the attendance levels by themselves and intended continuance, so all Istanbul LEGATO branches decided to merge as one unified group. From this day onwards LEGATO has become much faster and organized. Composed of students, graduates and academics, to this day LEGATO is arguably Turkey
's biggest and most active homosexual group.
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organization in Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
aimed at university students. It is Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's largest LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
organization.
History
The idea of bringing together homosexual university students began at the in 1996. Soon afterwards it was called LEGATO. In 1997, the group, inspired by METU, opened another office in Hacettepe UniversityHacettepe University
Hacettepe University is a major state university in Ankara, Turkey.The University has two main campuses. The first is located in the old town of Ankara and hosts the Medical Centre, and the second is the Beytepe Campus, which is 13 km from the city centre...
. In LEGATO's early years, they took part in many LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
-related activities, such as opening stands in spring festivals, arranging weekly meetings, broadcasting movies, putting up posters, etc.. Thus, many university students were gradually becoming more aware of their own university's gay
Gay
Gay is a word that refers to a homosexual person, especially a homosexual male. For homosexual women the specific term is "lesbian"....
community. However, being either a member or founder of either of the groups ruined their chances of graduation.
After keeping quiet, two years later, with the GayAnkara group being the forefoot of the project, LEGATO found life again. As the first stage, on 28 June 2000, email listings opened to 23 universities (84 as of 2006).
LEGATO began to spread out from Ankara
Ankara
Ankara is the capital of Turkey and the country's second largest city after Istanbul. The city has a mean elevation of , and as of 2010 the metropolitan area in the entire Ankara Province had a population of 4.4 million....
to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
, starting at Boğaziçi University
Bogaziçi University
Boğaziçi University is a public university located on the European side of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. It has five faculties and two schools offering undergraduate degrees, and six institutes offering graduate degrees...
. Soon, campus meetings were organized, a website was made, and the group engaged in many cultural activities. Meanwhile, the list of email addresses was expanding, as was the group.
On 20 December 2000 the LEGATOs maintained contact with each other by creating the Legato Ortakliste (Legato union list) and on 10 January 2001 all the LEGATO offices in Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
(more than 60) arranged one big gathering.
On 19 January 2002 none of the universities were able to maintain the attendance levels by themselves and intended continuance, so all Istanbul LEGATO branches decided to merge as one unified group. From this day onwards LEGATO has become much faster and organized. Composed of students, graduates and academics, to this day LEGATO is arguably Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
's biggest and most active homosexual group.
Goals
- To bring homosexual university students together
- To educate the Turkish community more about homosexuals
- To tackle homophobiaHomophobiaHomophobia is a term used to refer to a range of negative attitudes and feelings towards lesbian, gay and in some cases bisexual, transgender people and behavior, although these are usually covered under other terms such as biphobia and transphobia. Definitions refer to irrational fear, with the...
- To maintain contact amongst homosexual university students
- To support homosexual students during their lives at university
Some of LEGATO's activities
- The 7th Sociology Students Meeting
- H2000 Music Festival - LGBT stand
- Sexuality Questioning Project - stand-panel at Sabancı UniversitySabanci UniversitySabancı University is a private research institution located in Istanbul, Turkey. Founded in 1996. SU is a small and highly focused university with 2861 undergraduates and 624 graduates, maintaining a strong emphasis on social and natural sciences...
- Spring Festivals - LGBT stand/displays at Hacettepe, Boğaziçi Universities
- Homophobia conference - stand/display at Istanbul Bilgi UniversityIstanbul Bilgi UniversityIstanbul Bilgi University is a private, non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey. It was actually established in 1994 under the name ISIS , but its name was changed to Istanbul Bilgi University with the foundation of the school on June 7, 1996...
- Traditional LEGATO picnic at the Anadolu Kavağı in Istanbul
- ILGA-EuropeILGA-EuropeILGA-Europe is the European Region of the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association.ILGA-Europe is a non-governmental umbrella organisation which represents its members, principally organisations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons, at the European level.Its...
meeting in LisbonLisbonLisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
, PortugalPortugalPortugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the... - LEGATO meeting 28 October 2002 in Istanbul
- Anti-War Protests in Istanbul and Ankara
- 1 May pride march in Istanbul
- Legato film showing of Cahil Periler
- 1st LEGATO party on 14 December 2002 in Mor Cafe/Bar, Istanbul
- 2nd LEGATO party on 18 February 2003 in Douche Pera, Istanbul
- 3rd LEGATO party on 28 April 2003 Love Dance Point, Istanbul
- Mimar Sinan Spring Festivals in Istanbul
- METU Spring Festivals in Ankara
- Violence and discrimination directed at homosexuals symposium at the Istanbul Bilgi UniversityIstanbul Bilgi UniversityIstanbul Bilgi University is a private, non-profit university in Istanbul, Turkey. It was actually established in 1994 under the name ISIS , but its name was changed to Istanbul Bilgi University with the foundation of the school on June 7, 1996...
- Boğaziçi UniversityBogaziçi UniversityBoğaziçi University is a public university located on the European side of the Bosphorus strait in Istanbul, Turkey. It has five faculties and two schools offering undergraduate degrees, and six institutes offering graduate degrees...
Graduates Federation - Boğaziçi Magazine report - RadikalRadikalRadikal is a daily Turkish language newspaper, published in Istanbul. It has been published since 1997 by Aydın Doğan's Doğan Media Group ....
newspaper report - SabahSabahSabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
newspaper report