The Istanbul Pride Committee, which is comprised of LGBTQ activists and volunteers, has raised its concerns in prior years after the Istanbul Governor Vasip Şahin banned the Pride Parade. The timing of the cancellation, announced Friday, is as significant as it is predictable: this year's Pride celebrations were launched on June 25th, soon after the Presidential elections that took place on that previous Sunday. The authorities have once again forced the cancellation of this weekend's Istanbul Pride Parade on Sunday. This post originally appeared in The Daily Beast.