O-blog-dee-o-blog-da

by Melanie Nathan, February 08, 2024.

“Now my disappointment and sense of exclusion, based on the imbalance reflecting sentiment, and despite the statement’s insistence that through 2024’s theme, Pride as a Beacon of Love, forces me to resign from my many years of San Francisco Pride support, love and membership.”

I have a long and loving history with San Francisco Pride. Let me preface this by saying that in criticizing San Francisco Pride, I am a past Vice President of the Board of SF PRIDE and was awarded the honor of Community Grand Marshal in 2014 under the theme ‘Color Our World with PRIDE.’ I also note my involvement in Executive Director Suzanne Ford and Board member Dr. Nas Mohammed’s associations with San Francisco Pride, as more fully explained hereafter. They are my friends. I love them and the organization, regardless of these criticisms. As one of few lesbian Jews to have represented on the San Francisco PRIDE Board, and with not a single Jewish person on the current board, and for more reasons, I would be remiss if I was silent.

San Francisco Pride has chimed in to join the call for cease fire in Gaza, in a manner that attempts to equalize through a seemingly strong message calling for love and peace. Unfortunately the message driven by the BOARD OF DIRECTORS, and dutifully signed by the Executive Director, seems to deny the imperial truth: That this war started as a result of a barbaric genocidal massacre perpetrated by Palestinian Hamas terrorists against Israel. That Israel is defending itself from an intended genocide against the Jews, as evidenced by the barbaric OCT 07 massacre purposefully targeting Israeli babies, children, teens, moms, dads, elders, families, pets, and from the GENOCIDE so overtly called for as written in the HAMAS Charter.

This war can hardly be called a GENOCIDE against Palestinians, notwithstanding the alleged numbers of so called “innocent” deaths. The use of the word GENOCIDE is disingenuous in this statement, and plain wrong. Genocide is not about numbers, it IS about intention. If Israel wanted to get rid of the Palestinians it would have happened easily and a long time ago. The war is taking long and is difficult, despite the toll, because Israel is being measured. It is not Israel’s fault that Hamas uses its own so called “innocents” as human shields. A well established fact.  If Israel had intended genocide they would have flattened Gaza in the first three days. They have the capability.  By contrast the Palestinians, INTEND the GENOCIDE of Jews. They tell us this with their Charter, their chants and their purposeful slaughter of innocent families in their beds and peace loving kids dancing at a music festival. Yet they are unable due to Israel’s defense systems, including the current incursion into Gaza. Unlike Israel, if they COULD they WOULD.

The statement was released by Dr. Nas Mohammed, the only Arab member of the board, who sought asylum in the United States from Qatar, where being LGBTQI+ is violently persecuted, just like in Gaza. I do not have a problem with the statement except as follows:

Albeit an attempt to create a sense of balance, and calling for the release of hostages, which most do not bother to do in similar statements, SF Pride’s statement falls dramatically short by referring to the toll on so called “innocent lives” in Gaza as a Genocide. If you are going to call Israel’s defending Jews against an intended extinction, a GENOCIDE at least have the decency to note that the OCT 07 Massacre was touted by the perpetrators themselves as an intended genocide. At least point to the fact that the HAMAS Charter calls for Jewish Genocide. At least note that the leaders of Hamas have made public statements on TV in their own voices saying “Hamas will repeat OCT 07, again and again and again…”  But they do not – leaving a really untruthful reflection that this is “genocide against Palestinians”. This imbalance and untruth fails San Francisco Pride’s fairness and places it deeply in antisemitic waters, a great and profound disappointment to me.

I was happy that my friend Suzanne Ford, the Executive Director who signed the statement called me ahead of its publication to explain her thoughts and feelings and we had a good discussion. I have not heard at all from my friend Dr. Nas Mohammed.  I was the person who nominated Dr. Nas for his community grand marshal award. I also promoted his election to the board. I also introduced Suzanne Ford to San Francisco Pride- we have a long history of friendship and much love for each other. We have all supported each other’s activism. I stand behind my support of these two extraordinary human beings, amazing leaders, who have fought for trans, gay and LGBTI rights, with much zest and brilliance despite hardship along the way. That will never change. Now my disappointment and sense of exclusion, based on the imbalance reflecting sentiment, and despite the statement’s insistence that through 2024’s theme, Pride as a Beacon of Love, forces me to resign from my many years of San Francisco Pride Membership.

I must learn that when it comes down to it the Jews are always going to be the Jews – blamed – despite a complex set of circumstances upon which our entire existence hinges. That seems to be a prevailing culture to which all seem so readily available to conform to, sans critical thinking or even some basic knowledge of facts. Those who are not inherently antisemitic seem to have to succumb to prevailing popular notions that renders them antisemitic – inadvertently perhaps –  by proxy perhaps? The failure to assert full critical thinking is now common place. Perhaps they do not understand just how much such imbalance and falsity hurts even with the flowery lingo seemingly set up to mask by virtue of that one misplaced word “GENOCIDE.”

I am calling on San Francisco Pride Board to amend their statement to include their acknowledgement that OCT 07 was an intended genocide by HAMAS who expressed disappointment that they did not slaughter more than the 1400  and maim more than the several thousand. I am calling on San Francisco Pride to condemn HAMAS as a terrorist organization that calls for the GENOCIDE of JEWS in their Charter. To explicitly state that SF PRIDE does not support any Jihad to include that ongoing Muslim extremists’ GENOCIDE against LGBTQI+ people as intended by the Palestinians.  Tell the truth! DR. NAS call out the Palestinians the way you did the QATARIS – in this case for their treatment of gay and trans Palestinians. How can any statement be issued ever by a Pride organization that ignores the fact that the people who you call victim are victimizers of your own community.

HERE IS THE STATEMENT:

Call for Ceasefire and Release of All Hostages

San Francisco Pride represents a community of people who choose to call the San Francisco Bay Area home. We have chosen to be here whether seeking safety in community or the possibilities of what our futures might hold. We are the community who championed our freedom to love. We are the community who uplifts the beauty and fullness of our gender and sexual orientation intersecting with our race, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability – all of our identities. As we look among ourselves in community, we see that our work is to create a community where we feel welcomed and loved by each other even as we identify with seemingly opposed affinities.

Our hearts are heavy with grief for the Palestinians and Israelis whose lives have been damaged or destroyed by violence, whether physical, psychological, or emotional. In the magnitude of the conflict in Gaza, we must remember who we are as a community, both locally and globally. In these times of profound sorrow, we echo the cries of the world in calling for peace and unity. The continued war and genocide in Gaza are marked by tens of thousands of lives lost including many children. As urged by the United Nations and the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, we urgently echo the call for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages.

As the SF Pride community, we know that living in and protecting our freedom to be, express, and love ourselves and each other are central to the community we co-create. Love is the answer. Love can be revolutionary and transformational. And in these times of war and violence, SF Pride calls for an immediate activation of a comprehensive plan for resolution, restoration, and reparation. We choose to lead for queer liberation with compassion and unity – to create and preserve safety for ourselves, for each other, and for our communities. Our liberation is an act of love, and our quest for collective freedom binds us to one another.

Dehumanization is rampant in our governments, media, and communities: we reject this. We are witness to the abuse of power in our communities: we reject this. We reject narratives that pit us against each other. Instead, we choose to turn to the love that we can foster together. In these challenging times, SF Pride will maintain that love and liberation must be interwoven in our pursuit of freedom. Our city, a sanctuary for the queer community, epitomizes the power of love and resilience in the face of global injustices.

Together, we are committed to building spaces of healing, understanding, and acceptance – a sanctuary that uplifts the fullness of our identities and makes space for us to live and love freely and without threat of harm and violence. SF Pride chooses to shine brightly as a symbol of hope and solidarity, united in our dance against injustice everywhere. We believe we are a beacon for the world.

Let us be a Beacon of Love.

For Press Requests, please contact info@sfpride.org

In addition to the above, as a human rights defender who leads AFRICAN HUMAN RIGHTS COALITION and who is actively relocating and safe sheltering mostly MUSLIM AFRICANS  fleeing  vicious criminalization and violence, I MUST call out  San Francisco Pride now based on the further important aspect of what their statement serves to elucidate.  They have now joined the throng of SUDDENLY concerned organizations who only come out with human rights related statements that involve criticizing Israel.

If you are going to be vocal about human rights in the world, do not leave anyone out, especially your own people… a small sampling to wit, …:

1. Nowhere has SF Pride released a statement to condemn the African countries current heightened attack on LGBTQI+ people through harsh punitive legislation such as the current Kill the Gays Bill in Uganda or the Family Values Bill in Ghana – and more…

2. Nowhere is SF Pride condemning the ongoing genocides in Ethiopia, Darfur, South Sudan – involving the rapes murders and atrocities committed against hundreds of thousands of people, causing a mass displacement and millions to become refugees. ( to name a few)

3. Nowhere has San Francisco Pride called out the Trump or Biden administrations for the horrific treatment of LGBTQI+ and others on our Southern Border through anti- asylum rules and policy, causing death to our own community of LGBTQI+ AS WE SPEAK ON OUR DOORSTEP!!!

4. Nowhere did SF Pride mention that LGBTQI+ Palestinians have no solutions for safety and protection when banished and threatened with death by Hamas and family and that their only solution has been through LGBTQI+ communities in Israel itself and abroad, with few to no pathways.

5. Nowhere has SF Pride called on the US Government to open the door to special pathways to LGBTQI+ people fleeing criminalizing countries where they are beaten, raped and killed.

TO SEE  Melanie Nathan on San Francisco pride main stage link HERE

I remain your friend
Aluta Continua
B’Shalom

MEL

BY MELANIE NATHAN
About Melanie
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