jfid – Queers For Palestine, a movement that seeks to merge LGBT advocacy with Palestinian liberation, has garnered worldwide attention.
Despite facing criticism and ridicule due to the lack of LGBT rights in the Muslim world, including the Palestinian territories, this movement remains steadfast in its struggle.
Profile and Track Record
Queers For Palestine is a movement comprised of various individuals and groups, including Queer Artists for Palestine and Queers in Palestine.
They are committed to opposing systemic violence and inequality – against Palestine, and against all people anywhere.
One notable member of this movement is Hamza Abuhamdia, a queer artist and architect born in Amman, Jordan, to Palestinian exiled parents.
His father, Maysara Abuhamdia, is a renowned Palestinian resistance fighter who was imprisoned twice by the Israeli army before being exiled to Jordan.
Actions and Activities
Queers For Palestine has engaged in various actions to support Palestine. For instance, Queer Artists for Palestine has joined global calls for a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
They have pledged not to perform or participate in public events in Israel until Palestine is free.
Meanwhile, Queers in Palestine has made statements opposing colonial and imperialist tactics that seek to alienate them from their communities and their communities from them, based on their existence as queer individuals.
Background
The Queers For Palestine movement emerges within the context of the protracted Israel-Palestine conflict. While Israel is at the forefront of LGBT rights in the Middle East, Palestine has a long history of suppressing the LGBT community.
This creates a challenging paradox for the Queers For Palestine movement, as they strive to support LGBT rights while also opposing the oppression of Palestine.
Nevertheless, despite facing these challenges, Queers For Palestine remains committed to fighting for justice and freedom.
As Queer Artists for Palestine states, “Queer liberation is inherently bound up with the dream of Palestinian liberation: self-determination, dignity, and an end to all systems of oppression.”
Though controversial, this movement showcases how identity and politics can intersect in complex and unexpected ways.
By standing firm in their struggle, Queers For Palestine challenges us all to consider how we can fight for justice and freedom in our own unique ways.
