In the 20th and 21st centuries, there has been an increasing openness to questioning gender and sexuality within the framework of rights and freedoms. This exploration has, as often observed in societal transformation processes, brought forth a spectrum of responses, both positive and negative. Instances of suicide among individuals identifying as gay or trans, stemming from societal pressures, are becoming more prevalent in mainstream and social media. A significant number of published suicide letters reveal that the individuals who tragically took their own lives did not find fault with their own sexual identity and orientation. Rather, they expressed disagreement with society's reactions to these aspects. Notably, their intention was often to convey a conscious and educational message to society. This work focuses on a suicide letter from an adolescent who identified as gay and attempted suicide. The electronic environment is utilized to enhance the emotional elements of the narrative. Through the sounds surrounding and interwoven with the text, an attempt is made to establish a connection with the emotional state that led to the creation of the letter before the tragic event occurred.
Gülce Özen is an Istanbul-based composer and voice performer working on electroacoustic music and text-sound art. She completed her B.A. study in composition with a thesis on semiotic approaches to text organization in New Music, and her M.A. study in musicology with a thesis on New Music and propaganda. Her fixed-media pieces were included in several compilations. She also had the honor of performing New Music pieces several times with Alper Maral and had performance design or improvisation based performances with contemporary composers and performers like Yan Jun, Cedrik Fermont, and Marie Takahashi. Nowadays, she is focused on text-sound-based compositions and political text-based voice performances supported with small percussions, field recordings and electronics. Gülce is currently a Ph.D. candidate working on her dissertation on musician identity and subjectivity.