Photography: Noah Valentyn
Styling & MUAH: Sjoerd Willemsen
Interview: Paul Hofman
Serdar Manavoglu (41) is the face of Pink Istanbul, which is holding its tenth edition this year. Through his work he knows Amsterdam’s music, dance, art and gay scenes like no other. Pride Amsterdam is proud to have him as one of its ambassadors.
Despite what his name might suggest, Serdar was born and raised in Amsterdam. Trained as a political scientist, he unexpectedly ended up at legendary venue Paradiso. As a programmer he helped start Pink Istanbul ten years ago and later the widely discussed Turkish boat.
Eight years ago he founded a Dutch edition in Istanbul. Both have been resounding successes. “By giving people a stage and sharing stories, I want to build bridges.”
Serdar was surprised when he was asked to become an ambassador. “I had to think about it for a while because it’s not just a job. It carries responsibility. At the same time I thought: who am I to be given this?” He accepted the challenge. “There is still a lot to do for LGBTI people. The emancipation of ethnic groups and specifically Muslim gay men is high on my priority list. I believe they need to be more visible.”
Many Turks and Dutch people think Turkish gay men should give up their identity when they come out. Expressions of identity and culture are either imposed on, or claimed by, gay people. But that doesn’t work. It’s an impossible choice. How can you choose between giving up your ethnic identity and trading it for your sexual identity?”
During Pride he will visit as many events and people as possible and talk with them. “For me, connecting people on a small scale is central. I think that works best.” Being seen as a role model makes him shy.
He has never personally experienced anti-gay violence. “I’ve been lucky.” That it’s increasing in both the Netherlands and Turkey worries him greatly. “The hardening and polarization and people’s need to assert themselves feels threatening. Still, I believe we must keep talking to each other. That wins half the battle.”
Pride ambassador since 2018
