Tag Archives: Palestine

I imagine we’ll hear a lot about this in the coming week.

In the spring of 2013, the Center for Gay & Lesbian Studies at City University of New York plans to stage a conference titled “Homonationalism and Pinkwashing.” And that’s got some folks very upset. “This conference is not an academic exercise designed to promote and encourage different points of view on LGBT issues; it is simply a venue to criticize …

“While the thought-police replace our language with words that advance their political aims, they’ve also mastered the misappropriation of others. Take the word ‘racist.’ It’s about the worst thing one can be called in our society. And it’s now being applied to those brave enough to speak out against Islamic fundamentalists. Pointing out the obvious — that mainstream Muslim thought …

Queers Against Israeli Apartheid occupied NYC’s LBGT Center yesterday in protest of having been denied meeting space. Duncan Osborne reports at Gay City News: The protest, which was organized by Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA) and about 20 other groups, began with protesters packed into the lobby. QAIA did not contact police prior to the event, but officers from the …

NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid intend to occupy Manhattan’s LGBT Center this weekend. Last February the LGBT Center refused meeting space to the group after a threatened donor boycott by porn producer Michael Lucas, who is an ardent Zionist and what some consider to be an anti-Palestinian racist. That refusal resulted in an anti-Center petition campaign from the opposing camp, …

Some website somewhere Gay Cities named Tel Aviv as “the best gay city in the world.” That may be the result of Israel’s recent campaign to promote LGBT tourism, something detractors say they are doing to dampen criticism about the treatment of Palestinians.

Israel has posted a request for volunteer gay envoys to promote the nation’s diversity. The Israeli government is launching a program to recruit homosexuals to be unofficial envoys. In a bid to boost its international image, the country’s ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs has established a cadre of diverse volunteers who speak about Israel around the world. In …

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His request got a standing ovation from most of the General Assembly, but Obama has promised to veto the request in the Security Council, where only one “no” vote will defeat any action.

Whackjob blogger Pamela Geller says she will sue the MTA if they don’t accept her above ad. Geller, co-founder of the American Freedom Defense Initiative, said the message is meant to counter posters in 18 subway stations calling for the end of U.S. military aid to Israel. They were paid for by the Westchester-based WESPAC Foundation and began a one-month …

In a story somewhat related the post below this one, New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind is super-pissed about the above ad, which has begun appearing in the NYC subway. Hikind: “This is a one-sided mean-spirited attempt to undermine the security and well being of the people of Israel. They say this is for peace. This is not for peace. …

Four Democrats in the U.S. House have introduced a bill that would deny foreign aid to any country that votes for Palestinian statehood in the upcoming United Nations referendum. The bill introduced Monday in the U.S. House of Representatives by four lawmakers — Reps. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), Eliot Engel (D-N.Y.) and Robert Brady (D-Pa.) — would target …

Next month the Palestinian Authority will request recognition from the United Nations. The Israeli army is reportedly stockpiling stun grenades and other “crowd control” measures in anticipation of the reaction to the UN’s vote. The PA plans to ask the UN for recognition, though it has not yet decided whether to pursue full recognition or “non-member observer state” status, which …

At yesterday’s meeting of AIPAC, the powerful pro-Israel lobbying group.

Pride Toronto hasn’t even begun accepting applications to march in this year’s parade, but already last year’s controversy is back in the news. Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is pulling out of Toronto’s annual Pride Parade in what the activist group called a “challenge” to mayor Rob Ford, who had threatened to cut the city’s funding to the parade because of …

Earlier this week the NYC LGBT Center canceled a planned Israel Apartheid Week meeting after gay porn kingpin Michael Lucas threatened to have the Center’s wealthy donors pull their support. Immediately after the event’s cancellation, a petition went online with a demand that the Center not let “wealthy bigots censor free speech.” Among the petition’s sponsors are well-known activists Cleve …

This just in from the Lucas camp: We prevailed! Congratulations to everyone who stood with me in support of Israel. With your help it took only eight hours to accomplish our mission. The LGBT Center has decided it will not host the party by Israeli Apartheid Week (IAW), scheduled for March 5th. According to an email I just received personally …

The BBC’s Weekend World program takes a look at the plight of gay Palestinians, some of whom escape torture and imprisonment by fleeing into Israel, only to face deportation back to their side of the fence should they be discovered.

Queer United Against Israeli Apartheid marched behind their banner in Pride Toronto’s parade on Sunday, angering some and forcing the police to intervene when members of the Jewish Defense League left their group and attempted to accost QUAIA.