Against The PINKWASHING of Israel

[Behind the Aegis]

6. Disgusting divisive crap.

Op-ed: Israel’s Record on LGBT Should Be Celebrated, Not Vilified

Pride month in Israel was welcomed with many celebrations, including Tel Aviv’s pride parade on June 13 which featured 150,000 celebrants, beach parties, dance performances, lectures, rainbow flags and banners, and was embraced by the Israeli military as well as government officials. At the same time, claims of Israeli “pinkwashing,” which essentially conflates LGBT rights with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, are obsessively promoted by a small group of anti-Israel activists. An example of this can be found in Keegan O’Brien’s article of June 7, 2014, “There’s No Pride in Apartheid- Stop Pink-Washing Israel’s Crimes,” which uses the banner of advocacy for the legitimate rights of the LGBT community to vilify Israel.

Israel can be rightfully proud of its record regarding its LGBT community, which is entirely separate from the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel is unique in the Middle East for its tolerance, legal protections and equality enjoyed by the LGBT community. Tel Aviv has been recognized as the “best gay city” in the world, standing in sharp contrast to other parts of the Middle East. This reality does not diminish or “pinkwash” the Israeli-Palestinian conflict nor does it negate the homophobic attitudes of some in Israeli religious communities. It is simply a fact of Israel’s vibrant democracy.

“Pinkwashing” allegations demonstrate that opposition to Israel is rarely limited to criticism of Israel as it relates to the conflict. By minimizing Israel’s LGBT values and solely judging it within the context of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the “anti-pinkwashing” campaign appears instead to be part of a larger, all-out attempt to discredit and slander all the positive aspects of Israeli society. This is evident in Mr. O’Brien’s vocal support of international campaigns calling for academic, cultural and economic boycotts of Israel.

Willfully ignoring the facts in order to justify and promote attacks against Israel trivializes the work of the LGBT-rights movement in Israel, and distracts from the shared goal of advancing and protecting the equal rights of the LGBT community. It also minimizes the realities of negative, violent, and homophobic elements in the region.

http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2014/06/20/op-ed-israels-record-lgbt-celebrated-vilified/

The above, like the "feminist" example, were both responses to other op-eds which were only inspired by "criticism" of Israel. Neither served as examples of people "pinkwashing."

Supporting Palestinians is not a "queer" issue.