IGF 2014: From Istanbul with love or “honey trap”?

Looking for love online can be exhilirating and fun. But for LGBTIQ relationships, there is a need for safe, unpoliced spaces to allow for personal and political growth. Kamel Manaf explores how sex and internet activism link and overlap.

The 9th Internet Governance Forum on 2 -5 September 2014 was held in Istanbul, a city where many lovers from various countries spend their honey moon. People write poems about the blue sea, Sultanahmet mosque and the evil eye. Romantic dinners on the night cruise illuminated by colorful lights, reflected from the Bosphorus Bridge.

But in Turkey, when it comes to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Intersex and Queer (LGBTIQ) relationships, they are often not considered love. Same sex relationships are still overshadowed by certain norms.