Nilüfer Kan Yeğin, a prominent advocate for social equality and LGBTI+ rights, has announced her candidacy for Şişli Municipality Council from the Workers' Party of Turkey.
Entering into politics openly identifying as a transgender parent for the first time in Turkey, Nilüfer Kan Yeğin is also a volunteer for the LGBTİ+ Families and Friends Association (LİSTAG) since 2022.
Nilüfer Kan Yeğin, who is a mother of two, one of whom is a transgender man at the age of 19, expresses the following regarding the issues faced by LGBTI+ individuals and their families:
"As a mother within LİSTAG, I deeply feel and understand the challenges experienced by LGBTI+ individuals and their families. Therefore, I am here to support each and every LGBTI+ individual and family. I believe that every child has the right to grow up with love and deserves equal opportunities in a fair world."
The LGBTI+ Families and Allies Association (LİSTAG), which began with the gathering of a group of parents in 2008, has played a pioneering role in the establishment of LGBTI+ Family Organizations in Ankara (GalaDer), Denizli, Antalya, and Izmir, and continues to support their empowerment at the local level.
With its documentary "Benim Çocuğum" (My Child), first screened in 2013, LISTAG has successfully amplified its voice to reach broad audiences in Turkey and around the world. The association particularly provides support to parents and families who learn that their children are LGBTI+, offering education and consultation to stakeholders, and continues advocacy efforts, including supporting political candidates, to raise awareness of LGBTI+ human rights in society.
About Nilüfer Kan Yeğin
After completing high school, she went to London to learn a language and attend a Certificate Program in Advertising, PR, and Marketing. Following many years of work in the advertising industry, in 2021, she began agricultural production in Akmeşe, Kocaeli, where she spent her childhood, and founded the "Kadınge" brand. She is a member of Wheat Association and LISTAG Board of Directors, and volunteers at AFAD and the "Hayata Sarıl" Restaurant. She is married and a mother of twins, one of whom is LGBTI+.
In the 2024 Local Elections, she has become a candidate for municipal council member with a commitment to an egalitarian, transparent, and participatory municipal understanding, aiming to take concrete steps to protect the rights of LGBTI+ individuals. (EMK/PE)
