1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

The Turkish government just raided gay bars and the homes of LGBTQ+ activists across 12 provinces, detaining at least 47 people under a campaign called "My Family is Safe." One of the primary targets was Kaos GL, a prominent LGBTQ+ association, whose members were arrested at home and whose social media accounts were forcibly shut down. This is state-led persecution, and the United States needs to say so clearly and loudly. I want you to publicly condemn these raids and call on the State Department to raise this directly with Ankara. President Erdogan has called LGBTQ+ people "perverts," and his government is now criminalizing civil society organizations for online posts it labels "obscenity." Silence from American officials reads as acceptance. Turkey is a NATO ally, and that relationship gives us real leverage — we should use it.