northwest
Proud of What?
My journey to Jerusalem World Pride
by Joy Ellison
've never been to Pride. When summer
comes, I always find myself far away from
Portland. This year as I hooked a flight to
spend the summer in Bethlehem, 1 resigned
myself to missing the party again. But then 1
learned that 1 would he going to this year’s queer
hotspot. My first Pride event would he Jerusalem
World Pride 2006.
But 1'11 admit this six'day celebration was a little
overwhelming. World Pride included educational
tours, a multifaith conference, films, demonstrations
and many, many drag shows. It’s no downtown dyke
march.
And Jerusalem doesn’t compare with the Park
Blocks. Many organizations have decided to boy
cott the event in protest of Israel’s occupation of
Palestine and war with Lebanon. In an article pub
lished by Electronic Intifada, queer organizer Kate
Raphael wrote: “While members of the Lebanese
queer group Helem are turning their community
center into a shelter for refugees, their counterparts
in Jerusalem are preparing for a film festival and
beach party. What is the message that this sends to
the world about what our community cares about?”
Palestinian lesbian organization Aswat has writ
ten movingly asking for a boycott: “Even though
the state of Israel holds a tolerant stance towards
gays and lesbians, it uses this opportunity to show
the world that in Israel a gay man can also be a sol
dier. However, being a soldier in an occupying
oppressive army does not do justice to our quest for
peace and tolerance."
World Pride organizers canceled their parade in
light of war with Lebanon but carried on with the
rest of the celebration. Everyone seems to agree on
one thing: Our community knows no borders and
includes Israelis, Palestinians and Lebanese. The
question is how to honor such diversity that rou
tinely struggles to see eye to eye.
The first World Pride event 1 attended was a
tour of Israeli social change organizations. 1 had
trouble finding the meeting place—not a rainbow
flag or a drag queen in sight. 1 listened to amazing
presentations, but the words “gay” and “lesbian”
were mentioned only twice, never mind “bi” or
“trans.” I left feeling confused. Where are the voic
es of sexual minority organizations? What’s their
stand in this conflict?
1 found myself unable to attend many of the
other World Pride events. Though the Israeli films
being shown at the festival were subtitled in
English, others were subtitled in Hebrew. Which
World Pride events could 1 participate in if 1 spoke
another language, like Arabic?
1 was unable to attend many of the late-night
parties because I live in Bethlehem. Bethlehem might
be only five miles away from Jerusalem, but it’s inside
the West Bank, and a huge military checkpoint stands
in my way. As an American, 1 can go through the
checkpoint into Jerusalem. Few Palestinians can. But
coming back to Bethlehem late at night means 1
have to wake up the Israeli soldiers to ask them to let
me through, which is never easy.
But by the skin of my teeth, 1 crossed the check
point to meet a small, intrepid group of queers for a
rally at the Wall. That’s the 25-foot-high cement
barrier that runs through the West Bank, Gaza and
Jerusalem and by my office. The Israeli government
says this Wall is for security, but it runs through
Palestinian communities, separating them from each
other, rather than Israelis.
1 was excited to be demonstrating with fellow
queer people. We held signs. We sang. But we had a
permit that said no speeches, so the Wall went
unexplained to people seeing it for the first time. I’m
not sure if they understood how the Wall crushes
the Palestinian economy or how homes and olive
trees are uprooted to make way for it. We held our
demonstration, but I couldn’t ignore the fact that
this was my first demonstration against the Wall
without Israeli soldiers. We could get a permit for
our gathering. Palestinians never have that option.
In the end, World Pride left me with more ques
tions than answers. I think that the organizers did
their best to create an inclusive event, but the Israeli
military occupation of Palestine prevents that. Most
Palestinians and many other Arabs just can’t get to
»TO
______
Joy Ellison stands at the 25-foot-high cement
wall running through the Palestinian city of Abu
Dis and throughout the West Bank. The wall was
the subject of protest at the 2006 World Pride
solidarity rally.
Jerusalem. So the perspective reflected in World
Pride was overwhelmingly Israeli. But I was also
struck by how similar World Pride's problems are to
the problems of Portland events dominated by white
people, men or other privileged groups. The question
of our community’s response to violence and injustice
in the Middle East is a valid one, but the question
that 1 will take away from World Pride is simpler:
What gives me pride? Am I proud simply because of
my gender identity and sexual orientation? Or am I
proud because we fight for justice everywhere? ©
J oy ELLISON is a Portland writer u'/io spends part of
each year supporting Palestinian nonviolent resistance
in the West Bank. She is spending the summer in
Bethlehem as a part of the Palestine Summer
Encounter Program. She writes about her experiences
at inpalestine.hlogspot.com.
JMV
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