Delidivane is “very international,” said Lola. Lola is the founder of one of these Web sites: “Delidivane” has become an important virtual meeting spot for Turkish gays to meet not only Germans, but also other immigrants. The Internet helps Turkish gay living in Germany to connect. There are Web sites, parties and classified ads, for instance. It’s not difficult, however, for gay men with Turkish roots to meet people, said Metin. They mostly come from rural areas of Anatolia, where homosexuality is at best seen as a sickness.Įven though tolerance toward homosexuals has increased in the past years, people behave cautiously. Turkish gays often prefer to stay in the immigrant scene and the majority of immigrants in Germany don’t come from the big Turkish cities, where there is more tolerance for people who live alternative lives. In part, though, it remains a game of hide-and-seek. In Turkey, he would only be allowed to do a small portion of the things he can do in Germany. There are many more chances for gays, he believes. Metin believes that German gays have it better because their families understand homosexuality as normal.
The rainbow flag, a symbol of gay pride, flies in front of Berlin city hall for the annual gay pride parade.
