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SUPPORT PALESTINE, CHALLENGE HOMOPHOBIA Peter Tatchell deplores the Left’s failure to speak out against the torture and murder of gays by the Palestinian authorities Tribune - London - 25 June 2004 Is there a revival of old-style 1970s leftist homophobia? It seems so. Diverse sections of the left - including individual members of the Socialist Workers Party, Respect and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PSC) - are questioning the right of the queer activist group OutRage! to fight back against the officially-sanctioned persecution of queers in the Palestinian-controlled areas of Gaza and the West Bank. According to the PSC, OutRage! is “attempting to defame” the Palestine solidarity movement and is “damaging the cause of solidarity with Palestinians”. In particular, it objected to OutRage! revealing how PSC officials and stewards had attempted to silence criticism of Palestinian homophobia. Members of OutRage! joined the PSC demonstration in London on 15 May, supporting an end to Israel’s human rights abuses of the Palestinian people. Contrary to claims by the PSC, we did not stage a "counter-demonstration". We were there in solidarity with the Palestine liberation struggle. Our placards said, "Israel: Stop persecuting Palestine". But we also called for an end to the torture and murder of lesbians and gays by the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO), Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA). Our placards additionally read, "Palestine: Stop persecuting queers". It was never our intention to disrupt the PSC rally or create a commotion. We had a small, low-key presence. Our aim was to raise awareness. We wanted to alert supporters of Palestine, in the hope they would help us pressure the Palestinian leadership to halt its oppression of queers. What turned a minor presence into a major incident was the repressive response of the PSC organisers and stewards. They surrounded us, ordering us to the back of the demonstration. When we refused, they blocked out our placards with their own, obscuring our message. PSC officials also shouted us down, preventing us talking with journalists and other protesters who wanted to find out more about the suffering of queers in Palestine. The PSC now denies this intimidation and censorship took place. But it was filmed by a Channel 4 documentary maker, Darren Lewey, and photographed by four professionals, including the respected left-wing and pro-Palestine photographer Paul Mattsson. They all corroborate OutRage!’s version of events. In a bid to
deflect criticism, the PSC has issued a statement saying it opposes
homophobia. Fine words. But what has it actually done to challenge the
violent homophobia of the PLO, Hamas and PA? I wrote to the PSC nine years
ago, asking them to urge the PLO to stop killing queers. The PSC did
nothing. I emailed the PSC office six weeks ago requesting dialogue. They
never replied. There is no doubt that Palestinian queers are the victims of barbaric homophobic violence. This is confirmed by the independent Israeli human rights groups B'Tselem and the Association for Civil Rights, and by the Israeli gay organisations, Aguda and Open House. Two senior PLO officials have admitted to me privately that the arrest and abuse of queers is sanctioned by the Palestinian leadership. Officially, the PLO refuses to discuss the matter. I have tried several times over the last 20 years to quietly and diplomatically raise this issue with PLO leaders. They have rejected all overtures and attempts at dialogue. That is why OutRage! had to protest. To do nothing would be collusion with homophobic tyranny. The PSC implies
that OutRage! has no right to campaign in solidarity with Palestinian
queers, arguing that “Palestinian lesbians and gay men must be allowed to
determine for themselves how they wage that struggle”. We agree. That is why
Outrage!, unlike the PSC, is not ignoring their desperate pleas for help.
They have asked for solidarity and we are showing it, which is more than can
be said of the PSC. |