(Jewish Group) Here's what happened at the controversial DC Dyke March

[Behind the Aegis]

(THIS IS THE JEWISH GROUP! RESPECT!!)

On Friday, 7 June, the Washington DC Dyke March was held for the first time in twelve years. The theme for the event was displacement. It was meant to focus on the rapid gentrification of the DC area that’s increasingly pushing out LGBTI people.

However, that theme was overshadowed by a different controversy: the banning of Jewish Pride flags.

The controversy

Jewish Pride flags are exactly what they sound like: rainbow flags featuring the Star of David in the middle to symbolize one’s pride at being both Jewish and LGBTI. The organizers did not see it this way, though.

The organizers of the event banned ‘nationalist’ symbols like the flags of Israel and the United States. To them, the Jewish Pride flag looked too much like an Israeli flag (both feature a Star of David in the center). Palestinian flags, however, were acceptable as they are seen as ‘a symbol of freedom from oppression.’

Ahead of the event, the organizers wrote a tone-deaf op-ed reaffirming their decision.

Policing the Star of David

‘’The “Jewish Pride Flag” seemed to only rise in popularity after the Chicago Dyke March — it was never a flag that we felt directly connected to, and it does not represent all Jewish Dykes,’ they wrote. ‘The flag is a Star of David placed in the center, superimposed over a rainbow flag, and is almost entirely reminiscent of the Israeli flag, swapping out the blue and white for a rainbow.’

To be clear, the Jewish Pride flag was used by many before the unfortunate 2017 Chicago Dyke March incident, where American Jewish lesbians were asked to leave the event due to the flag. Additionally, there is a specific Israeli Pride flag which looks quite different to the rainbow one described. Rather than being a full rainbow flag, it mimics the Israeli flag by being white with rainbow stripes to replace the blue ones at the bottom and top.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

more...

YEA!!!