[I’m moving forward this update to a prior post, LGBTQ Task Force Exemplifies Bigotry of the Left.]
In Chicago, at the LGBTQ Task Force’s annual Creating Change conference, censorship by disruption by the anti-Israeli LBGTQ left. As is typical of their tactics, “de-platforming” those with views they want to silence replaces any pretense of discussion or debate.
And, of course, the LGBTQ Task Force caves in, again: “Protesters on Friday forced the cancellation of a reception at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual conference that was to have featured two advocates from Israel.”
Said Arthur Slepian, executive director of A Wider Bridge:
These remarkable LGBT leaders from Israel, who do great work in the very diverse and challenging city of Jerusalem, had spent the last six months helping their community heal and recover from the trauma of a barbaric act of anti-gay violence at last summer’s Jerusalem Pride march. They expected to be supported and embraced by the U.S. LGBT community at Creating Change. Instead, the protestors denied their humanity and silenced their voices, and the conference tragically did little to provide for their safety and security.
From the Windy City Times:
A Jan. 22 statement from Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network summarized the protesters’ objections. “For several years the Israeli government has attempted to use propaganda about the freedoms some LGBTQs in that country have as a cover for their increasingly brutal rule over Palestinians, a process known as ‘pinkwashing,'” the statement said. …
Earlier in the week, Black Lives Matter Chicago voiced its disapproval of AWB’s participation at Creating Change, drawing correlations between the experiences of African Americans and the Palestinians. In a statement, they said, “They/We navigate heavily surveilled and detained realities on tightropes. They/We are expected to be grateful to those that itemize their/our pain to strengthen existing norms. As is routine for too many souls across the globe, They/We must negotiate oppressions as a provision of harm reduction and triage.”
Faith Cheltenham, president of BiNet USA, took part in the protest and said shortly after it ended that she saw it as part of a larger effort to get “our movement back.”
Sort of speaks for itself. It’s the LGBTQ faction of the left that’s characterized by being anti-America, anti-West, anti-capitalism, and anti-Israel.
More. Task Force head Rea Carey issued this statement, which starts out strong but then becomes wishy-washy pap:
“I want to make this crystal clear: the National LGBTQ Task Force wholeheartedly condemns anti-Semitism and anti-Semitic statements made at any Task Force event including our Creating Change Conference. … Hate speech of any kind is unacceptable whether it’s directed at Jewish or Muslim people. …
The last couple of weeks leading-up to Creating Change have been rough. The events leading up to and during it have been extremely hurtful to many — and for really different reasons. What we all are experiencing is complicated and messy. We know that many people at Creating Change share our belief in the self-determination of all people. And for many we have failed to live up to the ideals of our mission or values. We are leaning into the struggle.
As Creating Change has grown to over 4,000 people, we are experiencing some of what happens when we ask people to be their full selves, to bring their whole selves to Creating Change… and those whole selves come into conflict.
19 Comments for “‘Creating Change’ of the Worst Kind”
posted by Tom Scharbach on
And, of course, the LGBTQ Task Force caves in, again: “Protesters on Friday forced the cancellation of a reception at the National LGBTQ Task Force’s annual conference that was to have featured two advocates from Israel.”
I’m still curious about how and to whom you think the Task Force “caved in”.
According to the Washington Blade and Windy City linka you rely on, (1) the event was scheduled as a reception; (2) about 200 protesters showed up before the reception, a few of whom entered the room and went up on stage, disrupting the reception, (3) which was then cancelled by the organization throwing the reception; (4) the hotel in which the reception was to be held called in the police, who apparently calmed things down.
It doesn’t seem to me that the Task Force had anything to do with the reception (other than to put it on the schedule, after an earlier flap about it) or the protests.
The ever-loyal Craig 123 suggested in the other thread that the Task Force caved in because it “did little to provide for their safety and security”. That may be the case, but failure to anticipate the need for greater security is not the same thing as “caving in”, and nothing in either article suggests that the Task Force was cooperated with the protesters.
posted by Jorge on
A Jan. 22 statement from Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network summarized the protesters’ objections. “For several years the Israeli government has attempted to use propaganda about the freedoms some LGBTQs in that country have as a cover for their increasingly brutal rule over Palestinians, a process known as ‘pinkwashing,’” the statement said. …
For several years, the Black Lives Matter movement has used its support of a terrorist nation as a cover for de-legitimizing the Israeli government’s increasingly open support of its LGBT community, a process known as blacklisting. I am sorry, Tom Jefferson, but I think political civility is overrated.
posted by Houndentenor on
Sorry, I think I missed a step. What does this have to do with Black Lives Matter?
posted by Jorge on
Indeed you did; going for the jugular is more effective when you act earlier than expected. If BLM representatives choose to make an attack on GLBT Israelis (as quoted above), then their movement is fair game.
posted by Houndentenor on
Oops. In that case I agree. BLM should be called out for that. Again, not sure why this is their issue in anyway, but that’s what both right and left have come to…piling on because of binaries in support or opposition of something that they shouldn’t be anywhere near.
Again, I am for full human rights for everyone everywhere. No excuses. Including religion.
posted by Tom Jefferson III on
1. The situation between the Israelis and Palestinians is a complicated, messy and ongoing one. I doubt very much that one conference is going to fix all of the problems and concerns facing Israelis and Palestinians. However, If I were attending the conference — I have been to a few similar conferences in the past — and if the Task Forces cares about my opinion (I doubt that they do), then I would want to hear from LGBT/allied Israelis AND Palestinians sharing their good, and bad experiences.
2. We have some people — pro-Israeli and pro-Palestinian alike — who take the position that you can believe in the human rights and dignity of Israelis OR Palestinians, but not both. Either you blindly support everything that one side does, OR the other, but NO critical thinking or problem solving. This is a position that I have little use for.
3. I doubt that “Black Lives Matter” — as a group — has much influence. For better or for the worse. I suspect a bit of both. And I doubt that many people — politics aside — care too much what the group has to say about foreign policy.
posted by Tom Jefferson III on
Yes, the Israeli government’s LGBT policy is quite progressive — which makes it odd that some conservatives rush to defend it, and some liberals rush to attack it –. It has slowly gotten better — policy wise — since the 1960s, with significant shifts in public opinion happening more recently and still a touchy issue with fundamentalist/Orthodox parties.
Israeli Gay/Lesbian rights have made more progress then transgender rights, family law is something of mess, and the situation of LGBT Arabs/Palestinians (or cases where an Israeli is in a relationship with a Palestinian) is less progressive.
Their is a significant amount of ethnic discrimination against Arab Palestinians, some of who are LGBT, and the Israeli occupation is not progressive.
Larger development and land issues — creating a world where Israelis and Palestinians can peacefully coexist within democratic institutions — have to be addressed and the failure of the Israelis and Palestinian leadership to do so, has caused a tremendous amount of pain and suffering for people — Israeli, Palestinian, male, female, transgender, gay, straight, bisexual, etc. –
A Jan. 22 statement from Chicago-based Gay Liberation Network summarized the protesters’ objections. “For several years the Israeli government has attempted to use propaganda about the freedoms some LGBTQs in that country have as a cover for their increasingly brutal rule over Palestinians, a process known as ‘pinkwashing,’” the statement said. …
posted by Houndentenor on
This is what happens when all politics is forced into binaries. It’s just as odd to see leftists dismissing lbgt rights in Israel as it is to see rightists using the sexist and anti-lgbt abuses in the Muslim countries as a talking point. When you find people denouncing what they agree with to make some sort of political point you know people have lost touch with reality. Political situations are complex and it seems that the far left has decided they are pro-Palestinian mostly because the right is pro-Israel. Of course that leaves the great majority of us in the middle hoping for a solution that respects all people’s rights. I’m not sure I’ll see that in that region in my lifetime but I refuse to be dragged into defending indefensible acts, especially terrorism just because I’m assumed to be for A because Z, even when A and Z aren’t remotely related. What a mess we are in and this is what the idiotic calls for ideological purity on both the left and the right have gotten us. A pox on both their houses!
posted by Houndentenor on
“Pinkwashing” is a load of crap. Israel is the only place in the middle east where gay people have any rights at all. If people don’t like that being pointed out they should question why they aren’t doing anything to advance lbgt rights in the other countries there. Excuses about oppression are bs. And frankly kind of racist. Some cultures are just too backwards to advance on women’s rights and other issues? Really? If we said that about some sub-culture in the West the same people would scream at us. The same standards should be applied to all people.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
This is what happens when all politics is forced into binaries.
Exactly. It is entirely possible insist on Israel’s security and sovereignty as a Jewish state while supporting a Palestinian state and disagreeing with the policies of the Netanyahu government at the same time. Many do, both in Israel and in the United States.
“Pinkwashing” is a load of crap.
Definitely. As is the cynical use of Israeli’s policies with respect to gays and lesbians as a wedge by people who turn around and oppose such policies in the United States. A pox on the lot of them.
I don’t think for a second that either the radical left or the radical right give so much as a warm shit about LGBT Israelis or Paletinians, except as cannon fodder for their political arm wrestling in the United States. And, to be blunt, I don’t think that either side cares all that much for either Israelis or Palestinians.
posted by Jorge on
I doubt that “Black Lives Matter” — as a group — has much influence. For better or for the worse. I suspect a bit of both. And I doubt that many people — politics aside — care too much what the group has to say about foreign policy.
Well, on this Houndentenor made my point when he talked about politics being forced into binaries. That is why I pay attention to what BLM Chicago (which is close to a very important front on institutional racism) has to say about foreign policy. I am sure that I have many disagreements with the Black Lives Matter movement on matters affecting the African American community. But they are here because of disparities affecting African Americans that must be given attention; it is probably more just to do a lot of things their way than to leave things the way they are. But they are not a symptom of the Israeli-Palestinian conflicts. In that context, the quoted comment gives a disturbing impression to me that compromise and problem solving are not possible. That you cannot reliably say they exist for a good reason or cause.
As for the so-called Pinkwashing thing, I’d find the explanation much more excusable if it was attributed to Israeli civilian gay activists than to the Israeli government. The former seem to be a lot more active in “Gay News!” updates.
Which is precisely why I smell a foul stench of bigotry when I read “the Israeli government” used as an irrelevant strawman.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
That is why I pay attention to what BLM Chicago (which is close to a very important front on institutional racism) has to say about foreign policy.
When I see the plight of LGBT Palestinians or the rights of LGBT Israelis used as part of the political argument in the United States vis a vis foreign policy toward Israel, I ask this question: “How does the person/group making the argument approach the plight/rights of LGBT Americans?”
How would the American conservatives who blither on about the rights of LGBT Israelis and the lack of rights of LGBT Palestinians, for example, treat LGBT Palestinians or LGBT Israelis if they were citizens of the United States? Would these conservatives be in the forefront of the movement to secure “equal means equal” for them, or would they (as they do with respect to current LGBT American citizens) fight “equal means equal” tooth and nail? It seems to me that it is hypocrisy to hold up LGBT rights in Israel as a compelling reason to support Israel in our foreign policy while fighting against LGBT rights at home.
Similarly, what is BLM, which hammers Israel for “pinkwashing” and mouths concern for the plight of LGBT Palestinians (assuming it does, a fact not in evidence from what I’ve read), doing about the plight of LGBT Americans who have made the African-American lifestyle choice, a group of Americans ignored and too often denounced from the pulpits in their own community?
Often the answer to that question gives lie to the idea that the person/group has any concern for LGBT Palestinians or LGBT Israelis, and exposes hypocrisy at its rawest.
Israel is all too often a pawn in the American internal political argument between various factions, each with an agenda to which Israel is largely irrelevant, except as a pawn. That’s why Jewish voices, seldom fitting into the orthodoxy of either side, are not solicited or heard in the debate.
In my opinion, LGBT Americans, who have been used as pawns and cannon fodder over and over again in the American political argument, should focus on the question I ask before jumping into the Israeli/Palestinian argument between various political factions in our own country. Having worked so hard to secure our own rights, and knowing that a hard fight will be needed down the road to preserve those rights, we are compromised when we allow ourselves to be dragged into the fight or fail to point out the hypocrisy surrounding that fight. We should push for “equal means equal” everywhere, in Israel as well as Palestine, in Alabama as well as Afghanistan, and not allow others to use us as pawns, yet again.
I smell a foul stench of bigotry when I read “the Israeli government” used as an irrelevant strawman.
Well, get used to it. Our foreign policy toward Israel has been a pawn of American internal politics for the last couple of decades, at least. Scratch the surface of those politics down an inch in most cases, and you’ll find the foul stench.
posted by Jorge on
How would the American conservatives who blither on about the rights of LGBT Israelis and the lack of rights of LGBT Palestinians, for example, treat LGBT Palestinians or LGBT Israelis if they were citizens of the United States? Would these conservatives be in the forefront of the movement to secure “equal means equal” for them, or would they (as they do with respect to current LGBT American citizens) fight “equal means equal” tooth and nail? It seems to me that it is hypocrisy to hold up LGBT rights in Israel as a compelling reason to support Israel in our foreign policy while fighting against LGBT rights at home.
I happen to disagree, but it’s a question that they must answer. I am starting to become irritated at how taboo the acknowledgement that gay Americans exist has become among the right.
A good segment of Republican candidates loves talking about how good they are to the interests of African Americans, I’ve never seen such bleeding heart fealty to the altar of institutional racism, and blacks barely even vote Republican. In fact the way the numbers work out, there are probably more gays than blacks who vote Republican.
It seems like ever since Ann Coulter got kicked off of worldnetdaily.com for telling a group of gay people how much she’s against recognizing gay marriage because she doesn’t want schoolkids to be taught about anal fisting, conservatives have had nothing to say to gay people. Gee, I didn’t realize how important talking shit behind our backs was. We all knew that’s what she was saying to straight people, and she didn’t pretend she wasn’t.
Similarly, what is BLM. . . doing about the plight of LGBT Americans who have made the African-American lifestyle choice, a group of Americans ignored and too often denounced from the pulpits in their own community?
Ouch. You’re picking up some of my bad habits, Tom.
In my opinion, LGBT Americans, who have been used as pawns and cannon fodder over and over again in the American political argument, should focus on the question I ask before jumping into the Israeli/Palestinian argument between various political factions in our own country.
How would we treat G, L, B, or T Israelis and Palestinians in this country? (Gee, lots of people love moving goalposts, don’t they?) Or do you mean challenging people to answer that question?
Our foreign policy toward Israel has been a pawn of American internal politics for the last couple of decades, at least. Scratch the surface of those politics down an inch in most cases, and you’ll find the foul stench.
No way! Pat Buchanan is simply a depressed Ted Cruz lookalike with a bald spot. Then again, maybe if he could defend himself better he wouldn’t look like that.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
How would we treat G, L, B, or T Israelis and Palestinians in this country? (Gee, lots of people love moving goalposts, don’t they?) Or do you mean challenging people to answer that question?
How does it move the goal posts to ask a conservative who holds up LGBT rights in Israel why he or she opposes granting those same rights to LGBT Americans?
posted by Jorge on
Task Force head Rea Carey issued this statement, which starts out strong but then becomes wishy-washy pap:
(Hmm, nothing wrong with that.)
How does it move the goal posts to ask a conservative who holds up LGBT rights in Israel why he or she opposes granting those same rights to LGBT Americans?
I thought you were talking about LGBT Americans asking themselves (and honestly) how they would treat LGBT Israeli- and Palestinian-Americans before getting into the politics of how LGBTs are treated in the Middle East.
posted by Jorge on
The “the hotel security called police without consulting us” was pretty bad though.
posted by Tom Scharbach on
Tom: How does it move the goal posts to ask a conservative who holds up LGBT rights in Israel why he or she opposes granting those same rights to LGBT Americans?
Jorge: I thought you were talking about LGBT Americans asking themselves (and honestly) how they would treat LGBT Israeli- and Palestinian-Americans before getting into the politics of how LGBTs are treated in the Middle East.
It is the same question, asked about treatment of gays and lesbians in the United States from two directions. If conservatives succeed in reversing marriage equality in the United States, no same-sex couples will be able to marry in the United States, or have their marriages (wherever performed) recognized, unless conservatives plan to adopt special laws granting marriage equality to resident foreign nationals. Do you think that conservatives intend to offer more rights to LGBT Palestinians and LGBT Israelis resident in the United States than they do LGBT Americans? I don’t.
posted by Jorge on
What does it matter? One issue deals with the right to life, the other deals with quality of life.
posted by Tom Jefferson 3rd on
Most of the progress made on behalf of LGBT Israelis came from the nation’s liberal and social democratic parties, along with some support from feminists.
The Conservative Orthodox religious parties have no interest in protecting LGBT rights, and opposed the changes in laws and attitudes.
The Likud – main Conservative Party – does not have the political ability to backtrack on the progress made, although many members would like to.
Much like, say the German Conservative party the Likud has stalled marriage equality bill in the Parliament (although the Israeli court has given some measure of equity to same sex couples), but otherwise has to avoid alienating Israeli voters who tend to support tolerance and gay rights.
Basically, Israeli voters tend to be centrist or lean slightly left. Fear of terrorism and violence is pretty much the only reason that the Likud receives enough votes to be a major party. Even now, the Likud Party has had to rebrand as being sufficiently liberal to be a major party.