Post Written By: Rachel Benson

"As today began with a free morning, some of the group headed to the Grand Bazaar - a large market with thousands of shops in the heart of the Old City. Others decided that sleeping in was the best option. Around 12:00 the group gathered again to go to Kadem, an organization that focuses on gender equality from a traditional Islam perspective. Finding the location of Kadem was quite the task, but definitely worth the navigation frustrations. Plus getting lost allowed us to view a beautiful and unique part of Istanbul we hadn't yet seen.

At Kadem we talked with conservative Muslim women who support women's rights in a complementarianism sense. Unlike the liberal speakers we spoke with before, these women believe that being Muslim does not contradict being an advocate of women's rights. They strive for political and economic equality between men and women rather than striving to completely abolish gender roles.

We also talked with Kerem Renda at the Cihangir Cafe today to speak about GLBT issues in Turkey. Kerem himself is openly gay and said that he is very accepted by his family and friends. He also said that many parts of Istanbul, Ankara, and Izmir are accepting of GLBT people. It appears promising that gay rights will garner more support in Turkey in years to come. Gay marriage, however, is completely out of the question right now in Turkey.

Between talking with diverse speakers, seeing stray cats at every street corner, getting a view of the Theodosian walls, and even fitting in some down time for the evening, we found it to be a fun and productive day!"