Gümüş and Kjaran, ‘Intersecting marginalisations’, 2025

Burcu Gümüş and Jón Ingvar Kjaran, ‘Intersecting marginalisations: violence against LGBTQ+ refugees and ethnic minorities in Turkey’, Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 1–18, 2025

Abstract

This study explores the intersecting forms of violence experienced by LGBTQ+ individuals from diverse ethnic backgrounds, including Turkish citizens and refugees living in Turkey. Drawing on 35 in-depth interviews, the research highlights the systemic exclusion, marginalisation, and physical and sexual violence these individuals face. It examines the compounded discrimination rooted in ethnic, sexual, and migration identities through the lens of intersectionality. Findings reveal three primary themes: othering and marginalisation, racism and exclusion, and physical and sexual violence. LGBTQ+ refugees face precariousness due to legal vulnerabilities, while Turkish citizens from minority ethnic groups encounter exclusion for not conforming to ‘Turkishness’. In-group dynamics within ethnic communities further exacerbate violence, with queerness perceived as threatening cultural or political struggles. The research situates these experiences within theoretical frameworks such as Ahmed’s ‘stranger danger’, Agamben’s ‘bare life’, and Butler’s (2005) concept of grievability, emphasising how systemic structures devalue these lives. The study contributes to existing literature by offering a nuanced understanding of the violence against LGBTQ+ individuals in Turkey, bridging state-level policies and intimate/private sphere dynamics. It calls for inclusive policies and societal shifts to address these intersecting forms of oppression, promoting dignity and belonging for marginalised communities.

Keywords: LGBTQ+, ethnic minorities, refugees, Turkey, violence and marginalisation