Between February 27 and March 20, 2000, Secretary General, Kursad Kahramanoglu did a tour of Brazilian ILGA Members to give a hand to the launch of a campaign against police brutality and indifference to crimes against LGBT people in Brazil. During the Bahia leg of the tour, he visited “Grupo Gay da Bahia” (GGB), the oldest LGBT organisation in Latin America. Luiz Mott, the president of the GGB issued a press release referring to Kursad as “Papa Cor de Rosa – a Pink Pope”. This was first published in “Tribuna da Bahia” on the12th of March, 2000. It caught the imagination of Brazilian Press, and over the years many media outlets from the Philippines to Turkey, and much of the European press referred to him as the “Pink Pope” over and over again.
Kursad recalls, “When my plane taxied to the stand at Salvador Airport they brought one of those old fashioned stairs to the door of the airplane. I stepped out and suddenly all these cameras started to flash and journalists started to shout ‘Pink Pope’, ‘Papa Rosa’. I was amused and did not know what to do. I remember thinking to myself ‘What am I suppose to do? Should I kiss the ground?!”
To this date Kursad still receives messages and emails referring to him as the “Pink Pope”! Kursad continues, “ILGA Secretary Generals come across all sorts of awkward situations, some pleasant, some funny, some insulting. This, however, must be one of the most ridiculous of them all. Religiously I am an agnostic person, and I was brought up as a Muslim. So I am the last person who ought to be called a “Pope”. Considering that I spent many years campaigning against the bigotry of the Catholic Church towards LGBT, it’s rather ironic. Nevertheless, I took this title given to me as a mark of affection and smile every time I am addressed or referred to as the “Pink Pope”. The bit I like best is when someone meets me, calls me Papa and wants to kiss my ring!”
Pink Pope message: This portal is prepared as a present for me by Baturalp Bilgili. Blessings upon him and I thank him for this. Without Çağlar Yerlikaya’s contributions it wouldn’t be possible to have such a wonderful portal either. Thank you boys!
