Gay Musicians in Turkey

More than 90 per cent of the singers in the bars and nightclubs of the Regatta Bar complex in Bakirkoy in Istanbul are gay. The main feature that distinguishes gay from non-gays is the self-confidence they exhibit, which can be easily observed in their performance. The self-confidence expressed through their music seems to be exaggerated and most likely has its roots in the musicians' gayness. In my opinion, it has to do with their lives and may be the result of being isolated in the society, as well as reflecting their childhood and family environment.

Most gays admitted to having suffered from the attitudes of their family and friends, initially in school and then by being looked down on in their social lives and careers. Subsequently, a feeling of isolation prevailed in their personalities. This is evident in the following statement by Hakan, who is a gay singer and works in “Yesilyurt Spor-club” in Istanbul: “I used to be called Top Hakan1, by my classmates”.

In analyzing the interviews with gay artists, I have referred to psychoanalytical theory, i.e. that the “id” of gay people, more specifically their homosexual desires, is blamed by their own ego and superego. By this I mean that what they learn from outside society and their family, as ethical issues, intensifies this internal devaluation. There is a conflict in the psyche of gay people as a result of the struggle between “id” and “ego”. This conflict is enacted on stage in the characteristics of their music performance, in their aggression, their frank speech and dialogues, and in their inclination towards feminine attitudes in terms of their music, how they dress and their Zenne oriental dancing.2

A new gay character

The only public forum for gays to prove themselves and to receive a positive response from society is that of gay bars and nightclubs. Here, they can not only perform, but also fulfil the shaping of their social characters and meanwhile meet their needs.

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