Hande Kader, a Turkish 23-year-old trans woman was raped and set on fire last week on August 12. Kader was a major activist in the LGBT community and even participated in last year’s Gay Pride Istanbul where she was photographed crying after police showed up and fired water cannons and rubber pellets into the crowd. Her death is sweeping the LGBT community and many are calling for justice.
She was a woman who raised her voice in the face of transphobia and homophobia. With the murder of Kader, who was a sex worker, new focus is being put on the murders of trans and gay individuals. Turkey is number nine in the world when it comes to these murders. Many of these hate crimes go unpunished and with Kader’s murder many are revolting and demanding change. The LGBT community in Turkey will be holding a march in Kader’s honor from Tünel to Galatasaray on August 21 beginning at 7pm, RIP Hande Kader.
