On a fall evening in Istanbul, Elif Kaya and fellow amateur LGBTQ soccer players hit the field for their weekly practice. The air is crisp as participants run up and down the field, some wearing rainbow adorned uniforms representing their LGBTQ-friendly teams.
“We want to open a space for women and LGBTQ people who don’t have a place to play soccer,” Kaya, 30, told Al-Monitor. “Istanbul should be a safe place for us.”