Statement: Say NO to ‘Out in Israel’
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‘Out in Israel’ is a month-long festival taking place throughout the Bay Area during April 2010. It is a celebration of LGBT Israeli culture that is set to include film series, literary readings, musical performances, dance, and panel discussions on LGBT culture in Israel and from Zionist perspectives.
We, Palestinian Queer activists, living inside Israel and in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, are calling for queer communities in the Bay Area and around the United States to protest against such an event. ‘Out in Israel’ uses the name and the cause of queers to whitewash the image of Israel’s oppression of Palestinians, and to transform the focus from its human rights violations, occupation and war crimes, to the “liberal” and “gay friendly haven” of the Middle East.
We wish to salute the efforts of queer groups that refuse to keep a blind eye and a deaf ear to Israel’s double standards and who are loudly reminding the world that Israel’s multi-tiered oppression hardly makes a distinction between straight and gay Palestinians.
‘Out in Israel’ should be out against the multiple forms of oppression that the state of Israel is practicing against Palestinians, including the Palestinian LGBTQI community. ‘Out in Israel’ should be out against policies of discrimination practiced against all Palestinians, including LGBTQI’s. ‘Out in Israel’ should be a call for the state of Israel to be out of Palestine*.
Say NO to ‘Out in Israel’; say NO to Israel’s double standards and refute the myth of Gay-friendly Israel. Say No to Israel’s propaganda to whitewash its occupying and oppressive image.
alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity & Aswat Palestinian Gay Women
{*Inspired from the SF Guerilla Street Art: Out Against Apartheid/Israel Out of Palestine}
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