Queer Artists for Palestine

Post from QueerArtistsforPalestine.org

I stand in solidarity with this statement:

"We, the undersigned queer artists, join the global call for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza – to save thousands of lives, to end the indiscriminate killing of Palestinian civilians, and to secure a future of freedom and justice for all.
We were devastated to witness the loss of innocent Israeli lives on October 7th, and we have been devastated, and called to action, watching Israel carry out its assault on innocent civilians in Gaza every single day since. Israel has killed over 20,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including at least 7,700 children, in the past two months alone. The UN reports that almost 2 million Palestinians, 90% of Gaza’s population, have been displaced from their homes. They are living in unsafe shelters without access to food, water, or basic healthcare. As winter nights get colder, disease is spreading. Gaza is past the point of collapse – the UN has described its state as “apocalyptic.” We say enough.
Our community has a role to play.
Our queer Palestinian siblings have asked us to stand firmly with them in their call for dignity and self-determination. This includes challenging Israel's whitewashing, or “pinkwashing,” of its brutal military occupation, by exploiting queer performers and voices to cover up decades of right-wing, violent, and racist policies against Palestinians. Now more than ever, we must be clear: queer people are no friends to Israeli apartheid. We use our voices and our platforms to oppose systemic violence and inequality – against Palestinians, and against all people everywhere.
Today, we demonstrate our solidarity with Palestinians by pledging not to perform or participate in public events in Israel until Palestinians are free. We believe that showing our work in Israel would dishonor the radical histories of queer activism and self-expression, which stand opposed to violent systems like apartheid and military occupation. Palestinians remind us that none of us are free until we are all free. That “queer liberation is fundamentally tied to the dreams of Palestinian liberation: self-determination, dignity, and the end of all systems of oppression”. We will continue to speak out for Palestine, to educate ourselves, and to uplift Palestinian voices.
Our queerness, and our humanity, demand that we do so."

To sign this statement, visit: https://www.queerartistsforpalestine.org/