Hande Kader
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]
Hande Kader | |
---|---|
Hande Kader during banned Istanbul Pride, June 2015 | |
Born | 1993 |
Disappeared | August 2016 |
Cause of death | Murder, rape |
Body discovered | 12 August 2016 |
Occupation | Sex worker, activist for LGBT rights |
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]
References
- Shafak, Elif (2016-08-23). "The shocking murder of trans activist Hande Kader says much about Turkey today". The Guardian. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- Arslan, Rengin (2016-08-21). "Hande Kader: Outcry in Turkey over transgender woman's murder". BBC News. Retrieved 2016-08-22.
- 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.
- Siese, April (2016-08-20). "International outcry following brutal rape, murder of Istanbul trans activist". The Daily Dot. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- Harvard, Sarah (2016-08-19). "Trans rights activist Hande Kader was raped and burned to death in Turkey". Mic. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- "Hande Kader: Outcry in Turkey over transgender woman's murder". BBC News. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- "Assassinat d'Hande Kader, icône LGBT: manifestation "pour la justice" à Istanbul". L'Express. 2016-08-21. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- "Hundreds protest over murder of trans woman in Istanbul". Al Jazerra. 2016-08-23. Retrieved 2016-08-24.
- Burke, Dave (2016-08-20). "Anger after trans woman is raped and burned to death in Turkey". Metro. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- "Turchia, l'orribile morte di Hande Kader, icona Lgbt del Gay Pride vietato a Istanbul". Repubblica. 2016-08-20. Retrieved 2016-08-21.
- "Boğaziçi'nde Trans Öğrenciler için Hande Kader Bursu". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2017-08-21.
- "Boğaziçi University Presidency Returns 'Hande Kader' Fellowship Donations". Bianet - Bagimsiz Iletisim Agi. Retrieved 2017-08-22.