flag, saying the American flag should fly alone. embassies from flying the Pride flag on the same pole as the U.S. An envoy is yet to be named.ĭuring the Trump administration, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blocked U.S. envoy, and rejecting the findings of a Trump administration “Commission on Unalienable Rights” which human rights scholars saw as a threat to L.G.B.T.Q. Blinken told lawmakers he would support the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning people, including allowing the pride flag at U.S. Also, I have made this post public and do not mind sharing done respectfully.During his confirmation hearing in January, Mr. (I do not want this to turn into a debate about Israel and Palestine in the comments. This was my community, where for four years I have shown up, stood up, and helped out, and I am broken-hearted. Oh, maybe there was a way I could have stayed, but rolling up my beautiful proud flag for them would have been an even bigger loss. No matter how much I tried to avoid conflict, to explain. This was about being Jewish in public, and I was thrown out for being Jewish, for being the "wrong" kind of Jew, the kind of Jew who shows up with a big Jewish star on a flag. But in this case, it doesn't matter what Israel does or doesn't do. And yes, there were other Jews there, visible ones even, who weren't accosted, who had fun, even! And yes, Israel exists in a complicated way. I was thrown out of Dyke March for being Jewish. After some fruitless back-and-forth, during which more people joined the organizers' delegation and used their deeper voices, larger physical size, and greater numbers to insistently talk over my attempts at explanation, at conversation, I recognized a losing battle and left sobbing. I tried again to use their language, to tell them that not being able to be visibly, flagrantly, proudly Jewish on my terms makes *me* feel unsafe. I tried again to explain about the Star of David. I'm supposed to be able to celebrate it here.
I tried to explain - no, no! It's the ubiquitous symbol of Judaism. The Star of David makes it look too much like the Israeli flag, they said, and it triggers people and makes them feel unsafe. They told me my choices were to roll up my Jewish Pride flag or leave.
During the picnic in the park, organizers in their official t-shirts began whispering and pointing at me and soon, a delegation came over, announcing they'd been sent by the organizers. I thought maybe if I played by their rules, I could just be Jewish in public. I actively walked away from people who directly tried to instigate conflict. I stayed away from Palestinian flags and Palestinian chants. I knew the March was a politically fraught atmosphere, so I went in very carefully. I snapped a picture before the March, and in retrospect my happy, proud smile breaks my heart. So I made a shirt that said "Proud Jewish Dyke" and hoisted a big Jewish Pride flag - a rainbow flag with a Star of David in the center, the centuries-old symbol of the Jewish people. I wanted to be in public as a gay Jew of Persian and German heritage. I am so upset that I'm no longer upset, so here is a faithful narrative of every event.
Yesterday I was removed from the Chicago Dyke March. "From Palestine to Mexico, border walls have got to go!! The Chicago Dyke March Collective supports the liberation of Palestine and all oppressed people everywhere. "The Chicago Dyke March Collective is explicitly not anti-Semitic, we are anti-Zionist. A Wider Bridge has been protested for provocative actions at other LGBTQ events and has been condemned by numerous organizations (/cancelpinkwashing/& for using Israel's supposed "LGBTQ tolerance" to pinkwash the violent occupation of Palestine. We have since learned that at least one of these individuals is a regional director for A Wider Bridge, an organization with connections to the Israeli state and right-wing pro-Israel interest groups. This decision was made after they repeatedly expressed support for Zionism during conversations with Chicago Dyke March Collective members. Sadly, our celebration of dyke, queer, and trans solidarity was partially overshadowed by our decision to ask three individuals carrying Israeli flags superimposed on rainbow flags to leave the rally. "Yesterday, June 24, Chicago Dyke March was held in the La Villita neighborhood to express support for undocumented, refugee, and immigrant communities under threat of deportation.