Webinar Invitation: Palestine as a Queer Struggle
“You cannot have queer liberation while apartheid, patriarchy, capitalism and other oppressions exist. It’s important to target the connections of these oppressive forces.” – Ghaith Hilal, AlQaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society
As a coalition committed to justice for all, we understand that all systems of oppression reinforce one another, and none can be fought in isolation. A commitment to ending one form of oppression is a commitment to ending all, including colonialism and heteropatriarchy (the dominance of heterosexual cisgender men in society).
Queer and trans Palestinians, like all queer and trans people of color, are fighting for justice on multiple fronts. One of those fronts is combating Israel’s weaponization of mainstream LGBTQIA rights advocacy against Palestinians through pinkwashing. Pinkwashing is a tactic used by the Israeli government to transform public perception of Israel from an oppressive regime to a gay-friendly paradise by juxtaposing a falsely progressive image of Israel with a racist portrayal of Palestinian, Arab, and/or Muslim societies as backwards, repressive, and intolerant.
When we look at the world through an intersectional lens, it becomes clear that Palestine is a queer struggle just as it is a feminist struggle, an indigenous struggle, and an antiracist struggle. One cannot be an advocate for queer and trans people in the US while supporting Israel’s daily aggression against queer and trans Palestinians, whose oppression is compounded by multiple marginalized identities. As Palestinian Queers for Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions point out,“Israeli oppression, racism, and discrimination does not distinguish between Queer Palestinians and Heterosexual Palestinians.”
To explore this further, join us for a powerful webinar:
Palestine as a Queer Struggle
Wednesday, March 28th 12PM Pacific / 3PM Eastern
Register today!
Joining us to talk about the intersecting struggles against heteropatriarchy and Zionism will be Falastine Dwikat, a queer feminist, community organizer, BDS advocate and anti-pinkwashing activist; and Izzy Mustafa, a Brooklyn-based Palestinian transgender man who grew up in the Diaspora. The webinar will be moderated by Nada Elia, Diaspora Palestinian scholar and activist.
Only when we see the connections between global systems of oppression, and commit ourselves to struggling together for liberation for all, can we truly build the power and vision we need for a better world.
Hope to see you Wednesday.
