It is based on the premise that Jewish people have a God-given entitlement to the lands of historic Palestine and the surrounding areas. Zionism is an inherently white-supremacist ideology. Throughout a two-hour conversation, the individuals were told that the march was explicitly anti-Zionist, and that if they were not okay with that, they should leave. There was an earnest attempt at engagement with these marchers, and the decision to ask them to leave was not made abruptly nor arbitrarily. At this point, Jewish allies and Dyke March organizers stepped in to help explain why Zionism was unacceptable at the march. During the conversation, the individuals asserted their Zionist stance and support for Israel. ‘Upon arrival at the rally location in Piotrowski Park, Palestinian marchers approached those carrying the flags to learn more about their intentions, due to its similarity to the Israeli flag and the flag’s long history of use in Pinkwashing efforts. The Chicago Dyke March has issued official statements explaining and standing by their decision: I tried again to use their language, to tell them that not being able to be visibly, flagrantly, proudly Jewish on my terms makes *me* feel unsafe.’
I tried again to explain about the Star of David. I’m supposed to be able to celebrate it here. ‘I tried to explain - no, no! It’s the ubiquitous symbol of Judaism. The Star of David makes it look too much like the Israeli flag, they said, and it triggers people and makes them feel unsafe. They told me my choices were to roll up my Jewish Pride flag or leave. ‘During the picnic in the park, organizers in their official t-shirts began whispering and pointing at me and soon, a delegation came over, announcing they’d been sent by the organizers. So I made a shirt that said “Proud Jewish Dyke” and hoisted a big Jewish Pride flag - a rainbow flag with a Star of David in the center, the centuries-old symbol of the Jewish people.’ ‘I wanted to be in public as a gay Jew of Persian and German heritage. Shoshany-Anderson wrote a more in-depth statement about what happened on the blog Jewish Philosophy Place: I felt that, as a Jew, I am not welcome here.’ Anti-Semitism or Anti-Zionism? I don’t know why my identity is excluded from that. ‘The Dyke March is supposed to be intersectional. ‘I was here as a proud Jew in all of my identities,’ she said. We do not feel included.’Īnother woman asked to leave, Eleanor Shoshany-Anderson, is an Iranian Jew. People are saying “You can be gay but not in this way.” We do not feel welcomed. ‘It’s hard to swallow the idea of inclusion when you are excluding people from that. ‘People asked me if I was a Zionist and I said “yes, I do care about the state of Israel but I also believe in a two-state solution and an independent Palestine,”’ she continued. ‘They were telling me to leave because my flag was a trigger to people that they found offensive,’ Grauer said. ‘It was a flag from my congregation which celebrates my queer, Jewish identity which I have done for over a decade marching in the Dyke March with the same flag,’ Grauer told local paper Windy City Times.Īn organizer of the Chicago Dyke March told Windy City Times that the march was ‘anti-Zionist’ and ‘pro-Palestinian,’ which is why the women were asked to leave.
Laurel Grauer, one of the women who were asked to leave, is a member of an organization called A Wider Bridge, which looks to create connections between LGBTI Jews and Israel. On 24 June, three lesbian Jews were ejected from the Chicago Dyke March by organizers after complaints that their flag made other attendees feel ‘unsafe.’Īt some point during the march, the three Jews were confronted by a group of queer Palestinians with questions about if their flag was an expression of Zionism. During this year’s annual Dyke March in Chicago, three women carrying a rainbow flag with the Star of David on it were asked to leave.