PSAs produced by Palestinian Queers for BDS
Three Palestinian LGBT organizations have released statements responding to the the New York LGBT Community Center's decision to cancel a "Party to End Apartheid" under pressure from donors. You can learn more about Michael Lucas (referenced in the first statement) here.
Palestinian Queers for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions: The Palestinian Queer Movement does not want to be used by Michael Lucas and his friends to justify the Israeli Occupation. Now that we are firmly emerged as an organic and integrated part of the global Queer Movement, Palestinian LGBT people are here to tell you that we need an end to the Occupation. Israeli fantasies about being "Democratic" while violating our Human Rights are absurd. And Israeli fantasies that they are rescuing us, are pathetic. The Occupation is keeping us from moving forward. Thus an anti Apartheid Party in the LGBT Centre should not be canceled on the basis of being irrelevant, or not related to LGBT issues. It is totally relevant and in the heart of LGBT struggle in Palestine, in NY and all around the world.
alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society and Aswat – Palestinian Gay Women (full statement here): We have recently concluded a first of a kind tour to the US, where we shared our personal, social and political struggle as Palestinian Queers living in Israel and Palestine … Your decision to ban an activist organization focused on Israel/Palestine limits freedom of expression for everyone who relies on the Center as a safe haven. In addition, your decision also tells LGBTQ Palestinians in New York and our community in Israel/Palestine that their human rights as Palestinians are not welcome at the Center, and that while they visit the Center, a part of their identity must be left at the door! … After experiencing such overwhelming support from prominent LGBT organizations and LGBT leaders in the US, we never imagined that the LGBT Center of New York would not join us, and the larger community, in connecting the struggle for LGBT rights to the struggle for human rights… We strongly urge you to reconsider your decision and allow the event "Party to End Apartheid" to take place as scheduled.
at first when he said “… airport, courtroom …” i thought he was going to make an argument that for a Palestinian going to the airport is like going to a courtroom. it would have been quite appropriate. being detained and interrogated in Ben-Gurion is like a Kafka-esque courtroom nightmare.
RE: “Three Palestinian LGBT organizations have released statements responding to the the New York LGBT Community Center’s decision to cancel a ‘Party to End Apartheid’ under pressure from donors.” – A. Horowitz
MY COMMENT: I draw your attention to this important petition that I recently signed: “Save New York’s LGBT Center! Don’t Let Wealthy Bigots Shut Down Free Speech ”
TO READ/SIGN THE PETITION – link to ipetitions.com
Israel just won’t be able to deal with all of this information coming out of Palestine. Talk to Americans and talk about Zionist injustice. It beats antisemitism every time. The hasbara of the Israeli embassy in London in the guardian on Monday looked so tired in the light of what is going on in the MENA region. The Press attache talks about negotiations 4 weeks after the Palestine papers. Things are really shifting up a gear.
Another excellent PQ BDS video
Imagine if the technology had been available in 1948
link to youtube.com
Beautiful seafoid,.
It really turns the whole argument about women’s right on it;sh head doesn’t it?
The internet levels the playing field for the Palestinians. A good concept well executed in fluent English and Israel has no answer. Injustice sucks everywhere.
Governments the world over — especially the US government — are investing millions of dollars in controlling and censoring people’s use of the Internet.
And you can rest assured knowing that cable companies in the US will find a nice excuse to kowtow the government line under the guise of “niche” or some such nonsense (re: Al-Jazeera).
Net Neutrality comes to mind.
kaman wahid
link to youtube.com
It’s fantastic to see such an sophisticated and understated campaign.
It’s claer from this video that BDS is violent revolution….right Witty?
There is an orchestrated form of neo-imperialism which manifests itself in the historic and ongoing crime of robbing the Jewish people of our native homeland.
To be clear, it is the West, America, Europe, and others that seek to delegitimize the Jewish state.
The fact that after 2,000 years we have returned to our aboriginal homeland. The fact that we are continuing on a massive scale to rebuild Jerusalem and Hebron, these are anathema to the neo-imperialists in the west. However we are strong and we will succeed. As it is said “The entire world is a narrow bridge, the key is to be not afraid”
You don’t have a native homeland. You were given a state in 1948.
They don;t need to. Israel is doing it all by itself.
Israelis have always been afraid and you’re becomming more so. You don’t know any other way.
I.see we are now using the language of progressivism to cloak the singularly despicable racist expansionism that is the Zionist project. Well color me surprised. You fool no one except the indoctrinated and the idiotic, congratulations you have entered a new and vile realm of sophistry.
That was in reply to minimalist perjorative.