Turkish soccer referee Halil Ãbrahim Dincdag has been forced to quit his job because of his sexual orientation, reports Outsports.com.
Dincdag recently went on national Turkish television to discuss his sexuality and to make a plea for national tolerance.
Homosexuality is not illegal in Muslim-majorityTurkey, but the subject is generally a taboo one, gays and lesbians have no partnership or adoption rights and there have been calls to ban LGBT groups.
Dincdagwas dismissed after he was excused from his compulsory military service when a medical report listed that he was gay. Gays are barred from serving in the Turkish military.
“Please stand tall against the unfairness against you, whenever something wrong is happening,” he said on TV. “Say that it is wrong. Say what is right for you.”
Dincdag said he will take legal action to get his job back.
