The statement left members of the Jewish community feeling ostracized and could contribute to already unprecedented levels of antisemitism being recorded across Canada

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Pride Toronto has recently joined the list of “inclusive” organizations hypocritically choosing to ignore the heinous atrocities committed against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and the suffering of the more than 130 hostages still held by terrorists in Gaza.

The non-profit is responsible for planning the city’s annual LGBTQ+ festival, and whose vision is a world “where all people feel safer, valued, celebrated, and included, regardless of how they identify or who they love.” However, there seems to be a caveat to their mission. Following Pride’s entirely one-sided March 28 statement on the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” there is genuine concern amongst members of Toronto’s Jewish community, particularly LGBTQ Jewish Torontonians, that this year’s Pride festivities will not be a welcoming or safe space for them due to their Zionistic beliefs.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

Not only has the statement left members of the Jewish community feeling ostracized, but the egregious statement also has the propensity to contribute to the already unprecedented levels of antisemitism being recorded across Canada. Ironically, the text espouses people to advocate for “solidarity with innocent civilians” in the region, but fails to acknowledge the 1,200 plus innocent civilians slaughtered by Hamas on Oct. 7. The biased nature of the statement is self-evident to the reader. The text depicts Israel as largely, if not entirely, responsible for the war and resulting tragedies. Nowhere does Pride Toronto so much as acknowledge Hamas’s responsibility for initiating the conflict by choosing to launch its barbaric assault on Oct. 7, and only a cursory reference was made to the one hundred plus hostages that remain trapped in Gaza.

B’nai Brith has serious doubts that Pride Toronto can fulfil its mission of providing an open, inclusive, and safe place for everyone — including LGBTQ Israeli and Jewish individuals, many of whom have indicated they feel abandoned by Pride. The feeling of betrayal expressed to us by LGBTQ members of the Jewish community, in the wake of the March 28 statement, prompted the organization to reach out to Pride Toronto to implore them to correct their statement in order to ensure that Jewish participants would be welcome at, and able to feel safe at, this year’s event.

This newsletter tackles hot topics with boldness, verve and wit. (Subscriber-exclusive edition on Fridays)

By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.

A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder.

The next issue of Platformed will soon be in your inbox.

We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again

Pride Toronto has often refrained from weighing in on complex geopolitical issues. After all, its entire purpose is to create as welcoming, open, and non-judgemental a place as possible for LGBTQ individuals and allies from all backgrounds and all walks of life. Perhaps for this reason, Pride Toronto did not release a statement in the wake of Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Nor did they comment on the increasing oppression of LGBTQ individuals in the Russian Federation. They were also silent following the recent decision by Uganda’s constitutional court to uphold a bill that re-criminalized homosexuality and instituted the death penalty for anyone caught engaging in certain homosexual acts. In this context, it is worth questioning Pride Toronto’s motives for weighing in on the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas in such a controversial and contentious manner. The statement was a stinging betrayal of one of Pride’s longest-standing allies.

For decades, Jewish activists and organizations have played a vital role in advancing LGBT rights in Canada. In 2022, Pride Toronto thanked B’nai Brith Canada after it exposed the nefarious intentions of a contingent of Black Hebrew Israelite extremists from the United States, who planned to travel to Canada and disrupt that year’s Pride festival. B’nai Brith, after unravelling the homophobic plot, passed the information on to law enforcement and Pride Toronto, allowing them to act before the hatemongers could create a disturbance.

Despite this long history of solidarity between the city’s Jewish and LGBTQ communities, Pride Toronto recklessly chose to present the Israel-Hamas conflict in an unnuanced and problematic manner. In doing so, Pride Toronto has contributed to the caustic and misinformation ridden discourse fuelling the worsening incitement targeting Toronto’s Jewish community.

More damning than sullying the relationship between the Jewish and LGBTQ communities is the impact that the statement has had on the the LGBTQ members of the Jewish community. The authors of the Pride Toronto statement callously subjected those who identify as such to further marginalization. A terrible and unnecessary predicament for a minority within a minority that has already been excluded from other traditionally progressive spaces.

Richard Robertson is the Director of Research and Advocacy at B’nai Brith Canada.

Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.

Celebrate Earth Day and upgrade your tech

This unassuming phone stand folds up to credit card size

We tried these three beauty products this week. Here are our thoughts.

An online guide to make planning your getaway a cinch

Net-zero carbon footprints never looked so good

QOSHE - Richard Robertson: Pride Toronto's statement on Gaza is a betrayal of the Jewish community - Richard Robertson
menu_open
Columnists Actual . Favourites . Archive
We use cookies to provide some features and experiences in QOSHE

More information  .  Close
Aa Aa Aa
- A +

Richard Robertson: Pride Toronto's statement on Gaza is a betrayal of the Jewish community

13 0
23.04.2024

The statement left members of the Jewish community feeling ostracized and could contribute to already unprecedented levels of antisemitism being recorded across Canada

You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

Pride Toronto has recently joined the list of “inclusive” organizations hypocritically choosing to ignore the heinous atrocities committed against Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 and the suffering of the more than 130 hostages still held by terrorists in Gaza.

The non-profit is responsible for planning the city’s annual LGBTQ festival, and whose vision is a world “where all people feel safer, valued, celebrated, and included, regardless of how they identify or who they love.” However, there seems to be a caveat to their mission. Following Pride’s entirely one-sided March 28 statement on the “humanitarian crisis in Gaza,” there is genuine concern amongst members of Toronto’s Jewish community, particularly LGBTQ Jewish Torontonians, that this year’s Pride festivities will not be a welcoming or safe space for them due to their Zionistic beliefs.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Enjoy the latest local, national and international news.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Don't have an account? Create Account

Not only has the statement left members of the Jewish community feeling ostracized, but the egregious statement also has the propensity to contribute to........

© National Post


Get it on Google Play