No Pinkwashing of War crimes

2010

Queers who support human rights protested outside the Roxie Theater on Thursday, April 8th, the opening night of the Out In Israel LGBT Cultural Festival. Out in Israel is a marketing event series aimed at convincing LGBT people in the U.S. that Israel is a cool, progressive, gay-friendly country. This is all part of a public relations scheme by supporters of Israel in this country to repair an image tarnished by atrocities, such as its massacres in Gaza last year. However, if last week’s film night was any indication, it’s not having much success. Only about 50 people showed up for the films.

QUIT! called the action, which featured a skit named, “Queer Eye for the Palestinian Village.” A couple Queer Guys were called in to give a makeover to a West Bank village so it could be turned into a queer-friendly Jewish settlement. Just rip out those unsightly olive trees, get a Caterpillar bulldozer to get rid of that mosque and you’ll have a perfect view of Tel Aviv and a great square for nude sunbathing. Oh, but you’ll need some hot Israeli soldiers to come in and kill all the people who are living there.

Read more in Indybay, including the statement from Palestinian queer groups Aswat and Al Qaws urging queer groups to protest this festival.

Read article in the Bay Area Reporter.

Sarah Schulman takes on Pinkwashing – New York Times May 2012

Boycott Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival

QUIT! is calling on international LGBT filmmakers not to submit their films or accept invitations to the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, known as TLVFest. John Greyson, a prominent Canadian filmmaker, has recently turned down an offer to premiere hi film “Fig Trees” at the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, in support of BDS. Greyson is a member of Queers Against Israeli Apartheid. 

If you know of any queer filmmakers please urge them to respect the cultural boycott by refusing to participate in TLVFest.

Boycott World Pride in Israel

2005 - 2006

QUIT led the international Boycott World Pride campaign, protesting Interpride’s decision to hold the second World Pride celebration in occupied Jerusalem.  This campaign grew to include dozens of queer organizations internationally and had a significant effect on the way the event was perceived in the media and in queer communities.  QUIT published op-eds, gave several radio interviews and maintained a website which provided a focal point for diverse boycott efforts

As individuals and groups working for the liberation of all oppressed peoples, we join in the call to boycott travel to World Pride Jerusalem in 2006 as part of the international boycott of Israel. Although the event is named, “Love Without Borders,” Israel has illegally occupied Jerusalem for decades, and has functionally annexed the city. Jerusalem is a city with borders that are constantly enforced by the Israeli army. These borders — including militarized checkpoints and towering concrete walls — are often impenetrable to Palestinians and other Arab people.

We support the rights of all lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and other queer-identified (LGBTIQ) people to love and live in freedom, and to demonstrate publicly to demand their/our rights. These rights should not be placed in competition with the long struggle of the Palestinian people, including Palestinian LGBTIQ people, for self-determination, for the right to return to their homes, and the struggle against apartheid and the occupation of their lands.

We urge all people who seek peace and justice to support the travel boycott of World Pride Jerusalem as a part of the boycott of Israeli goods, and the call to divest from Israel. Together we can build a free and fair world for us all.

These are statements from Aswat (Palestinian Queer Women), Helem (Lebanese queer group) and QUIT in support of the boycott.

Read about it in the San Francisco Chronicle.

Montreal radio interview with QUIT’s Kate.

List of endorsers supporting boycott of World Pride

  • Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorism (QUIT!)
  • khuli zaban
  • LAGAI — Queer Insurrection
  • Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA)
  • American Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, San Francisco Chapter (ADC-SF)
  • International Socialist Organization
  • Queers for Peace and Justice
  • OPTICS- Organizing Pittsburgh to Increase Community Solidarity
  • Atlanta Palestine Solidarity
  • INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
  • Sue Blackwell, Academic Boycott Campaigner, Birmingham, UK
  • Huron Valley Greens, Ann Arbor Michigan, USA
  • Mystic River Green-Rainbow Action
  • Jews for a Free Palestine
  • Queers for Palestine (NY)
  • Queers for Palestine (Boston)
  • Iraqi LGBT
  • Peace Action Committee of the Green Party of the United States
  • Jewish Women’s Committee to End the Occupation of Palestine, Toronto (JWCEO)
  • Committee of Arab and African Families United to Survive AIDS
  • Chivvis Moore
    Meri Perra, Toronto Canada
  • Lesbian and Gay Solidarity Australia
  • Liz Ross, Australia
  • The Green-Rainbow Party of Massachusetts
  • Madilyn Gorman, Queer Officer at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
  • Ms. Shuhad Osman, Bronx Committee for Justice in Palestine
  • William Haver
    Permanent Revolution Tendency (UK and Australia)
  • Isadora Lins – Brazil

protesting Israeli film

2003

June 2003, QUIT dropped a banner on stage at the end of the showing of “Yossi and Jagger,” at the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival.  The film centers on a gay relationship between Israeli soldiers on the Lebanon border. Coverage of the action.

A few things you didn’t see in the movie

  • 17,000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians were killed by the Israeli forces in Lebanon.
  • On September 16, 1982, 3,500 refugees, mostly women and kids, were massacred by Israeli-backed forces in the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebanon.  Ariel Sharon, the current prime minister of Israel was held by an Israeli commission to be responsible for masterminding the massacre.
  • The $25 billion in damage that the Israelis did to Lebanon is equivalent to only six years worth of United States military aid to Israel ($4 billion annually).
  • 168 Israeli men were imprisoned for refusing to serve in Lebanon.  Since the beginning of the Intifada in September 2000, over 600 have been jailed for refusing to serve (quite a few of them gay), and a number have recently been given repeat sentences.