Hande Kader

Turkish transgender woman
Hande Kader
Hande Kader during banned Istanbul Pride, June 2015
Born5 January 1993
Şanlıurfa, Turkey
DisappearedAugust 2016
Cause of deathMurder, rape
Body discovered12 August 2016
Occupation(s)Sex worker, activist for LGBT rights

Hande Kader (1993 – August 2016) was a politically active Turkish transgender woman. Kader was familiar to millions of Turks as a figurehead for the LGBT community after being photographed at the forefront of the resistance against police forces suppressing the 2015 Gay Pride event in Istanbul.[1] In August 2016, she was reported missing by her flatmate when she failed to return home the following week.[2] Her body was found raped, mutilated, and burnt[3] by the roadside in the Zekeriyaköy up-market on 12 August 2016.[4] Despite being badly mutilated, Kader's body was identified by prosthetics at the city morgue by Dengiler.[2][3]

Kader was employed in the sex industry as a sex worker, and was last seen getting into a client's car.[5][6] She was 23 years old at the time of her death.[7] The official cause of death has not yet been released. Reports indicate that after death her corpse was set on fire, possibly to avoid identification of the perpetrator(s).[8]

Following her death, there has been a public outcry and protests against the mistreatment of transgender people in Turkish society.[4][9][10][7]

Boğaziçi University LGBT Studies Student Club (BULGBTİ) announced a fellowship in honor of Hande Kader that will be given to a trans student at the university starting from 2017–2018 academic year.[11] However, the office of the president later announced that the fellowship was not within their knowledge and reimbursed the donations.[12]

See also

References

  1. ^ Shafak, Elif (2016-08-23). "The shocking murder of trans activist Hande Kader says much about Turkey today". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  2. ^ a b Arslan, Rengin (2016-08-21). "Hande Kader: Outcry in Turkey over transgender woman's murder". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  3. ^ a b Jones, Stephen (2016-08-20). "Transgender woman's mutilated body found BURNT in street follows streak of gay hate crimes in Turkey". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
  4. ^ a b Siese, April (2016-08-20). "International outcry following brutal rape, murder of Istanbul trans activist". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  5. ^ Harvard, Sarah (2016-08-19). "Trans rights activist Hande Kader was raped and burned to death in Turkey". Mic. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  6. ^ "Hande Kader: Outcry in Turkey over transgender woman's murder". BBC News. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  7. ^ a b "Assassinat d'Hande Kader, icône LGBT: manifestation "pour la justice" à Istanbul". L'Express. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  8. ^ "Hundreds protest over murder of trans woman in Istanbul". Al Jazerra. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
  9. ^ Burke, Dave (2016-08-20). "Anger after trans woman is raped and burned to death in Turkey". Metro. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  10. ^ "Turchia, l'orribile morte di Hande Kader, icona Lgbt del Gay Pride vietato a Istanbul". Repubblica. 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
  11. ^ "Boğaziçi'nde Trans Öğrenciler için Hande Kader Bursu". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
  12. ^ "Boğaziçi University Presidency Returns 'Hande Kader' Fellowship Donations". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2017-08-22.