
For Iris Mozalar, a young transgender woman living in Istanbul, Pride Week is "more about resistance than celebration" under Turkey's conservative government, which is openly hostile towards the LGBTQ community.
"Ours is a struggle to survive," the 24-year-old told AFP at her home in Istanbul where she studies urban planning and works as a DJ and model -- on the eve of the annual Pride celebration, which Turkey's government routinely bans.