The charity Stonewall and the retailer Primark have been criticised over their range of Pride-related merchandise because it is made in a country with a poor record on LGBT rights.

The clothes are made in Turkey, which has a poor recent record on defending LGBT rights. Critics say it is unethical to ask workers to produce clothing that bear messages illegal for them to voice in their own countries.

Steve Taylor, the co-founder of the UK Pride Network and the communications director at EuroPride, said: “The Primark T-shirts are printed in Turkey where Pride is illegal so that is deeply unethical. The issue for me is where the message on the T-shirt is printed, in this case it is in Turkey so that for me is fundamentally unethical.

“It is unfair to ask people to do the messages in countries where LGBT rights are a pipe dream and we must not do it.”

Isaac Jordan, an amateur photographer, has made a photo series which he hopes to exhibit on the fringes of Brighton Pride, which starts on Friday, to publicise what he says is an unethical relationship between Stonewall, Primark and Turkey.

“A few days ago I decided to go buy a T-shirt to wear during the parade and discovered a dark side to the rainbow flag merchandise sold across high street stores,” he said.

“While it is really positive that big brands are getting behind and supporting Pride it should not be at the expense of LGBTQ people abroad who are making clothing for us in the UK but are unable to wear it themselves without fear of violence or persecution.”

A Pride event in Istanbul was suppressed this year, following similar actions in previous years. When hundreds of LGBT campaigners tried to march through the city, heavily armed police used teargas and rubber bullets to break the event up after 40 minutes.

Officers chased away small groups who assembled on side streets, and Turkey’s official news agency Andolu said about 20 people were detained after protesters failed to heed warnings to disperse.

Stonewall defended its partnership with Primark which it said allowed the rights charity to help foster inclusive workplaces in countries where the being a LGBT person could be difficult.

Louise Smith, the director of fundraising at Stonewall UK, said: “We work with organisations with offices and operations based around the world to help them support their LGBT staff. International businesses often operate in countries where the context for LGBT people can be challenging.

“In Turkey we are working directly with LGBT rights campaigners to upskill them in practical ways to push forward LGBT equality, including ways to engage positively with local police forces and the broader legal system.”