The removal of the Istanbul tramway curtain in 1923 and changing discourses of identity.

What is it about?

This article addresses the desegregation by sex of the Istanbul tramway in 1923 in order to better understand how intimate public spaces like a tramcar act as sites where all types of identity (gender, national, class, etc.) are negotiated and performed. In a sense, it provides a long pre-history to present day social media campaigns against "manspreading" and renewed calls for women-only public transit in many places in the world.

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Why is it important?

This is important because it shows us how public transit spaces affect the way the public sphere operates. It should prompt all readers to think about the way spaces are designed, and how that affects the way people move and behave on public transit, as well as who has access to what forms of transit. It should also prompt readers to think more deeply about how they are affected by close, intimate encounters with strangers - how these types of encounters change the way you see the world.