Trans activist Janset Kalan sentenced for ‘obscenity’ over photo showing ‘cleavage’

A court has sentenced trans woman activist Janset Kalan to five months in prison and a 400-lira judicial fine for a photo showing her cleavage and legs, shared from a social media account that does not belong to her.

The Ankara 48th Penal Court of First Instance ruled on the basis of “obscenity” and issued a deferred announcement of the verdict.

Kalan encountered another trans woman facing the same charge while attending her own hearing. She later stated that, according to information she received, “there are more than 100 cases filed against trans women in Ankara alone.”

‘They defined obscenity based on female body’

Speaking to KaosGL, Kalan described the legal process and claimed that trans women are being systematically targeted with obscenity charges.

“I’ve been prosecuted twice and sentenced both times,” she said. “During the hearing, the judge kept saying, ‘Cut it, cut it, cut it,’ and didn’t even let me speak. The verdict was copy-pasted. It had already been decided before I arrived. I didn’t even need to be there. The indictment says my legs and cleavage are visible in the photos. That’s the alleged crime: my legs and cleavage are visible. It’s horrifying.”

Kalan warned of the broader implications of such rulings: “If this continues, no one will be able to wear a mini dress, spaghetti straps, bikinis, or go to the beach.”

She argued that the judgment reflects a political targeting of trans women. “They defined obscenity based on the female body. This wasn’t an exceptional case—this was politically motivated and unlawfully prosecuted. And it’s a problem not only for trans women but also for cisgender women.”

Kalan also linked the decision to recent legislative debates, saying, “This ruling is closely tied to proposals in the 11th Judicial Reform Package. Even without any legal amendments, trans women are already being objectified and sexualized based on their bodies.

“We must raise our voices against this. I will pursue this as far as the Constitutional Court and the European Court of Human Rights if necessary.”

‘Digital patrols target trans women’

Kalan’s attorney, Nergiz Görnaz, said they would appeal the ruling. She criticized the digital patrol operations run by the Cyber Crimes Department of the Turkish National Police, saying they disproportionately target trans women.

“The obscenity charge is being used directly against trans women,” Görnaz said. “These digital patrols are aimed specifically at finding and flagging trans women’s social media accounts. Their online presence is immediately sexualized.”

She also pointed to procedural violations in related investigations and trials. “We’re seeing unlawful phone searches and arbitrary prosecutions,” she said. “In Janset’s case, for example, no effort was made to verify whether she even created the account in question.”

Janset Kalan is a trans woman activist known for her international advocacy work. She is a founding member of Queer Adana and has worked with the Pembe Hayat and 17 Mayıs associations. She also serves on the executive board of Kaos GL and has been involved in LGBTQ+ rights activism for over a decade.

(TY/VK)