Israel/Palestine
Related: About this forumAgenda Behind Israel's 'Pinkwashing' Accusers?
The anti-Israel activists who recently disrupted a presentation by an Israeli LGBT center at the Chicago "Creating Change" conference are attempting to hijack the LGBT movement to further an agenda of hatred.
The LGBT movement aims to help create a world where people can live freely and with dignity, no matter their sexual orientation or gender identification. The "pinkwashing" accusers--claiming that Israel's gay rights record is merely a smokescreen to hide its supposedly evil deeds-- turn this mission on its head by relentlessly vilifying a country that is at the forefront of LGBT rights, especially in the Middle East.
LGBT people thrive in Israel, where employment discrimination based on sexual orientation has long been banned, openly gay and lesbian soldiers have served in the military for decades, and transsexual Dana International represented Israel at Eurovision in 1998 (and won).
At the same time, to be openly gay elsewhere in the Middle East means discrimination, harassment, assault, jail, and death. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that a scant one percent of Palestinian respondents believe that homosexuality is "morally acceptable." The Palestinian Authority has no laws to protect LGBT people. In Gaza, Hamas punishes homosexual behavior with up to ten years in prison. Gay men are lashed in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, tortured in Egypt, buried alive in Afghanistan, hanged in Iran.
http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/israels-pinkwashing-accusers_b_9159768.html
King_David
(14,851 posts)oberliner
(58,724 posts)And the subsequent justification of it by the usual suspects at Mondoweiss, Electronic Intifada, etc. ought to show people what the BDS movement is all about.
Sadly, most of the true believers are either pretending it didn't happen or making excuses for the behavior (and support).
King_David
(14,851 posts)Especially among grassroots LGBTQ community.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)Anti-Zionist protest at LGBTQ conference was smeared as anti-Semitic
http://mondoweiss.net/2016/02/anti-zionist-protest-at-lgbtq-conference-was-smeared-as-anti-semitic/#sthash.q50S8rIp.dpuf
Creating Change protests not anti-Semitic
http://www.washingtonblade.com/2016/01/29/creating-change-protests-not-anti-semitic/
LETTER Using the charge of "anti-Semitism"
http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/LETTER-Using-the-charge-of-anti-Semitism/54189.html
Israel advocates falsely claim Chicago LGBTQ protest disrupted Jewish prayers
https://electronicintifada.net/blogs/ali-abunimah/israel-advocates-falsely-claim-chicago-lgbtq-protest-disrupted-jewish-prayers
And on and on and on. Hopefully people aren't buying the BDS spin of this disgusting behavior.
Here's a few more:
Yes, Our Anti-Israel Protest Disrupted LGBT Conference That's the Point!
http://forward.com/opinion/332280/yes-our-anti-israel-protest-disrupted-lgbt-conference-thats-the-point/#ixzz4220FSRJf
Shutting down a Pinkwashing event is a smart, legitimate protest against Israel's occupation
http://www.haaretz.com/opinion/.premium-1.700128
The people who did this and their supporters do not believe they did anything wrong - in fact, quite the opposite.
King_David
(14,851 posts)Same thing happened with QUAIA in Toronto Canada, they were driven out of town by LGBTQ groups themselves.
The sleepy Jewish Canadian LGBTQ group awoke into a raging lion , and now have gone back safely into hibernation.
QUAIA disbanded due to lack of support.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)It's hard to get a real sense of how this played out just by reading about it online (which is what I'm relying on).
ericson00
(2,707 posts)because the day one of the causes gets associated with one that doesn't go well publicly, thats' it. Aside from "intersectionality" being a scam.
aranthus
(3,385 posts)Neither are minorities, women, or the Palestinians the chief concern of the Left. They are useful means to other ends. The Left will fight Israel to the last Palestinian.
Israeli
(4,159 posts)Not ours I hope ....because if so I can prove you wrong on all points .
Lets start with Gay rights :
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134125303
+
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134125547
King_David
(14,851 posts)at all... They support Trump and Anne Coulter and couldn't really give a damn about Gay rights at all .... They mock the Gay rights within Israel as "Pinkwashing".
http://mondoweiss.net/2015/12/trump-wasnt-semitic/
http://mondoweiss.net/2015/09/republicans-donors-coulters/
Israeli
(4,159 posts)....then I apologise ....our Left is nothing like yours KD .
mondoweiss and richard silverstein's blog @ http://www.richardsilverstein.com/
give you a perspective of the American Left that leaves you with a bad taste at the back of your mouth .....their all about ego KD .
and that's about it .
oberliner
(58,724 posts)The vast majority of the people you are having exchanges with here are Americans.
King_David
(14,851 posts)But I don't consider them "left "
Just antiZionist.
oberliner
(58,724 posts)But I was talking about the question regarding the US or the Israeli left.
Pretty much when someone talks about the left on here, they are talking about the one in the US.
King_David
(14,851 posts)Not among the right or the left - at all.
Reminds me of the times I spent in Canada , you see it there a lot.
Israeli
(4,159 posts).....but its OK ....how would you know .
Like all your attempts to slur they amuse me no end .
King_David
(14,851 posts)Was an observation... I saw it in Canada too , but never in Israel.
Israeli
(4,159 posts)King_David
(14,851 posts)Very funny....
We all one big close Jewish family aren't we?
Ha ha ha ha
Funny....
King_David
(14,851 posts)Not even on Purim ....
I had to look up who he was as I had never heard of him.
aranthus
(3,385 posts)I haven't studied the Israeli Left.
Israeli
(4,159 posts)Who exactly are these American Leftists ....can you be more specific ?
aranthus
(3,385 posts)aranthus
(3,385 posts)In any event, I think what would prove your point would something in answer to this question. Does the Israeli Left think of the efforts of Israel regarding gays as "pinkwashing?" I suspect that they don't, which would prove your point.
Israeli
(4,159 posts)....so here lets try again ....a link from within the previous links :
Pinkwashing Debate: James Kirchick and Aeyal Gross Face Off on Complexities of Gay Pride in Israel
As Tel Aviv celebrates gay pride week, debaters hash out whether all that pride is justified or whether crowing about LGBT rights covers up Israel's violation of other groups' rights.
Haaretz Jun 10, 2015
http://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/1.660214
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)Additionally, using nazi references to smear those who dislike pinkwashing is somewhat tasteless.
King_David
(14,851 posts)WTF is that ?
Trying to slur the Jewish state for granting Gay people their rights ?
Would you prefer Israel treat their Gay citizens in a Medieval culturally backwards way ,with hate and murder like they do in the Palestinian statelets , particularly Gaza?
Pathetic !
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)normalize Israeli occupation, settler colonialism, and apartheid".
The OP is full of pinkwash, just look at these paragraphs, they basically say "It's not Apartheid because of, you know, gay rights, derp...":
At the same time, to be openly gay elsewhere in the Middle East means discrimination, harassment, assault, jail, and death. A recent Pew Research Center poll found that a scant one percent of Palestinian respondents believe that homosexuality is "morally acceptable." The Palestinian Authority has no laws to protect LGBT people. In Gaza, Hamas punishes homosexual behavior with up to ten years in prison. Gay men are lashed in Qatar and Saudi Arabia, tortured in Egypt, buried alive in Afghanistan, hanged in Iran.
Yet some anti-Israel, supposedly pro-LGBT protesters have not a word of criticism to say about the horrific treatment of gay people (or other human rights violations) by Arab and Muslim governments. Why not?
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-darvas/israels-pinkwashing-accusers_b_9159768.html
BTW, don't you find the nazi references in the OP even a little bit disturbing?
King_David
(14,851 posts)And so do the hordes of Gay tourists
Tel Aviv attracts.
I would say most Gay people I know are very much appreciative that it isn't the same situation as the Medieval or just plain evil treatment Gay people receive in the Palestinian statelets... Especially Gaza , or IS or Iran or Uganda etc
Think we don't appreciate self preservation?
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)racists, at least according to a recent Pew poll? I think it's wrong to justify that racism and policies stemming from it by pointing out that Israel is the most LGBT friendly country in the Middle-east.
You seem to think that I'm somehow opposed to LGBT rights, which I'm not. I'm just opposed to racism and Israel's treatment of the non-Jewish population under its control. If you don't believe me about the poll, it's here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/1134125712
shira
(30,109 posts)...for having gay rights than its enemies for not having them.
Little Tich
(6,171 posts)But there wouldn't be anything for the "bigoted degenerates to criticize", if there was no pinkwashing going on in the first place...
shira
(30,109 posts)....from the occupation?
Or is it just that Israel advertises its gay right record in order to deflect...?
=============
Regardless, BDS trolls show their ass when they criticize Israel more for granting gay rights than their enemies for oppressing gays.
Which goes to show what a regressive, bigoted rightwing movement BDS really is.
shira
(30,109 posts)Israel haters cannot find ANYTHING positive about Israel. EVER. In fact, anything Israel (the Jew among nations) does must be bad, no matter how good on the surface intentions may appear. It's a gimmick, a smokescreen. Israel can do nothing right being 100% evil.
OTOH, most everything wrong in the world (or in that part of the world) is Israel's fault. (The Jewish nation). The Iraq War is Zionists' fault. That most Americans are against the Iran deal is Israel's fault. That most Americans support Israel is AIPAC's fault. That antisemitism is spiking worldwide is Israel's fault. The economy? Jews. Zionists.
THAT is how the mind of the antisemite works. It's been like that for thousands of years. Jews killed the Messiah or God. Jews are responsible for Capitalism, and also responsible for Communism. They're either too liberal or too conservative. Jews are way too rich or their poor are burdens on society. Jews are either all stingy or too charitable. Too meek because they went like lambs to the slaughter (Holocaust) or too strong & too militant now when they defend themselves against maniacs who don't believe Hitler went far enough. Too moralistic or too conniving.
Jews can do no right no matter what. Same for Israel, the Jew among nations.
That's what Pink-Washing is all about.