Mainstream perspectives often treat healing as an individual psychological process, overlooking its political, structural, and collective dimensions, especially in contexts shaped by state violence and systemic marginalization. This paper examines how LGBTIQA+ communities in Turkey, confronted with widespread discrimination and the absence of institutional support, develop alternative systems of care and solidarity that sustain both survival and resistance.
Drawing on qualitative research with queer and feminist activists (Koldas, 2023) and expanded through ongoing doctoral work, this study conceptualizes healing as a political practice and explores how collective care functions as a grassroots response to inequality, violence, and social exclusion. Based on in-depth interviews with 12 participants, it reveals how community-based practices of care and solidarity not only address the psychological effects of oppression but also foster social transformation and a collective vision of justice.
The findings are structured around three interrelated themes: (1) Living Under Violence: Structural Harm and Everyday Survival, (2) Solidarity as Survival and Resistance, and (3) Healing Through Connection: Relational Practices of Care. Participants describe solidarity not only as a form of emotional support but as a political commitment that affirms identity, fosters belonging, and sustains resistance under hostile conditions.
By framing healing as both a personal and collective political process, the research calls for reimagining justice as a practice grounded in mutual care and solidarity, exploring how state institutions can both hinder or foster these collective forms of repair. These practices open space for alternative forms of belonging, equality, and care, offering valuable insights for inclusive social policy and feminist theories of political transformation.
