Tayyip Erdogan Mistakes UN Furnishings for LGBT Flags

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan seems to have misunderstood the reason for the multicolored bands of fabric hanging in the United Nations Headquarters in New York.

Following the forum, Erdogan has made statements to the media in Turkey saying, “When you enter the UN General Assembly, you see the LGBT colors on the steps and in some other areas … Right now, some leaders are pro-LGBT, and some are anti-LGBT… They have as much right to be on the steps of the UN as those who are anti-LGBT. This is a humanitarian issue, and it is important to know that there are people who are upset.”

Erdogan is very open about his discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community and has only become more outspoken about it in recent months due to his election campaign. He is known for labeling members of the LGBTQ+ community as “deviants.”

While it is very easy and valid to call Erdogan out for blatant bigotry, there is an important note to make. The UN headquarters in New York don’t have any LGBTQ+ flags or other decor supporting the LGBTQ+ community hanging at all. Several diplomats believe that Erdogan embarrassingly mistook the 17 colors associated with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals for a pride flag.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a list of goals with associated colors that the UN would like to have completed worldwide by 2030. The goals as listed are no poverty, zero hunger, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, affordable and clean energy, decent work and economic growth, industry and infrastructure improvements, reduced inequalities, sustainable communities, responsible waste management, climate action, aquatic wildlife safety, terrestrial wildlife safety, strong justice and institutions, and partnerships for said goals. Hopefully, with the support of the general public, these goals for a better world and future will be met.

Image courtesy of SDGoals on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter