The Liberal Party’s decision to withdraw from official Capital Pride events in Ottawa last weekend following a statement by its executive in solidarity with Palestinians and accusing Israel of genocide will continue to ripple “within and beyond,” say LGBTQ+ community members who feel excluded by the party’s decision and hurt by an appearance of conditionality in its solidarity.
Ottawa’s Capital Pride parade marched down Elgin Street on Aug. 25 without incident or disruption despite a week of controversy and several big-name sponsors, school boards, hospitals, and both the federal and provincial Liberal parties withdrawing their participation over its statement in solidarity with Palestinians and condemning Israel’s war in Gaza.
[…]
The list of withdrawals snowballed into the double digits just as the Capital Pride festivities were beginning, following Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s condemnation of the executive committee’s Aug. 6 statement expressing solidarity with Palestinians, accusing Israel of “pink washing” and genocide, and committing to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
While the official parade route was shortened by nearly half after Capital Pride learned that Ottawa Police Services would only provide 16 officers this year rather than the 33 it provided in 2023, the event continued as scheduled and without the disruptive pro-Palestinian protests that blocked the Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto Pride parades earlier this summer.
Additionally, marching alongside the “Queers for Palestine” contingent—the largest of the parade segments featuring white and black keffiyehs, watermelon insignias, and signs reading “Stonewall was an Intifada”—were unofficial contingents of those organizations which had officially withdrawn.
[…]
Speaking with The Hill Times on a not-for-attribution basis to share their opinions freely, former and current Liberals staffers and volunteers confirmed that the response to the party’s withdrawal was decidedly mixed.
In a letter shared with The Hill Times, which had been signed by more than 100 of those staffers and volunteers before it was delivered to the party’s national board of directors, the decision was described as “extremely distressing,” and unrepresentative of the party’s 2SLGBTQI+ members due to a “complete lack of consultation.”
I wonder if in the future Canada will have more religious polarization such as in the UK. With Muslims drifting to the NDP (like Labor in the UK) and Hindus and Jews going to the Conservatives.
OkEntertainment1313 on
>concerns over conditional solidarity
What a ridiculous term for backlash towards promoting intifadas and the antisemitic BDS movement. You support terrorism and antisemitism, you lose institutional supports. Simple as.
JebBD on
It continues to amaze me how the Palestine obsession is single-handedly killing the entire world of activism. Women’s rights groups refusing to condemn sex crimes, pride marches being cut short and cancelled, orgs and activist groups tearing themselves apart with infighting, losing focus on their goals, losing political power and support from politicians…
Flooding TikTok with I/P misinformation and drilling into leftwinger’s brains that it’s the single most important issue of all time has done wonders for the enemies of human rights and liberty. It’s depressing to watch.
4 Comments
Archived version: [https://archive.fo/4XkEa](https://archive.fo/4XkEa).
Summary:
The Liberal Party’s decision to withdraw from official Capital Pride events in Ottawa last weekend following a statement by its executive in solidarity with Palestinians and accusing Israel of genocide will continue to ripple “within and beyond,” say LGBTQ+ community members who feel excluded by the party’s decision and hurt by an appearance of conditionality in its solidarity.
Ottawa’s Capital Pride parade marched down Elgin Street on Aug. 25 without incident or disruption despite a week of controversy and several big-name sponsors, school boards, hospitals, and both the federal and provincial Liberal parties withdrawing their participation over its statement in solidarity with Palestinians and condemning Israel’s war in Gaza.
[…]
The list of withdrawals snowballed into the double digits just as the Capital Pride festivities were beginning, following Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe’s condemnation of the executive committee’s Aug. 6 statement expressing solidarity with Palestinians, accusing Israel of “pink washing” and genocide, and committing to the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) campaign.
While the official parade route was shortened by nearly half after Capital Pride learned that Ottawa Police Services would only provide 16 officers this year rather than the 33 it provided in 2023, the event continued as scheduled and without the disruptive pro-Palestinian protests that blocked the Vancouver, Montreal, and Toronto Pride parades earlier this summer.
Additionally, marching alongside the “Queers for Palestine” contingent—the largest of the parade segments featuring white and black keffiyehs, watermelon insignias, and signs reading “Stonewall was an Intifada”—were unofficial contingents of those organizations which had officially withdrawn.
[…]
Speaking with The Hill Times on a not-for-attribution basis to share their opinions freely, former and current Liberals staffers and volunteers confirmed that the response to the party’s withdrawal was decidedly mixed.
In a letter shared with The Hill Times, which had been signed by more than 100 of those staffers and volunteers before it was delivered to the party’s national board of directors, the decision was described as “extremely distressing,” and unrepresentative of the party’s 2SLGBTQI+ members due to a “complete lack of consultation.”
Further reading:
[Liberal staffers pull support for party in Montreal byelection, citing government’s stance on Gaza | CBC News](https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-staffers-gaza-montreal-byelection-1.7306984)
[Trans activist denounces pro-Palestine blockades at Pride parades | Vancouver Sun](https://vancouversun.com/news/trans-activist-denounces-pro-palestine-protest-that-disrupted-vancouver-pride-parades)
[Pro-Palestinian protesters disrupt Montreal Pride parade | Montreal Gazette](https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/pro-palestinian-protesters-disrupt-montreal-pride-parade)
[Thousands celebrate Toronto’s Pride Parade ended by protest (thestar.com)](https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/thousands-sing-dance-and-celebrate-at-pride-parade-until-protesters-strand-marchers-and-floats-mid/article_397ddf84-3730-11ef-a004-53173fd80f80.html)
!ping Can&Extremism
I wonder if in the future Canada will have more religious polarization such as in the UK. With Muslims drifting to the NDP (like Labor in the UK) and Hindus and Jews going to the Conservatives.
>concerns over conditional solidarity
What a ridiculous term for backlash towards promoting intifadas and the antisemitic BDS movement. You support terrorism and antisemitism, you lose institutional supports. Simple as.
It continues to amaze me how the Palestine obsession is single-handedly killing the entire world of activism. Women’s rights groups refusing to condemn sex crimes, pride marches being cut short and cancelled, orgs and activist groups tearing themselves apart with infighting, losing focus on their goals, losing political power and support from politicians…
Flooding TikTok with I/P misinformation and drilling into leftwinger’s brains that it’s the single most important issue of all time has done wonders for the enemies of human rights and liberty. It’s depressing to watch.