Video

Queers tell us why they’re marching for Palestine

LGBTQ2S+ people at protests in Montreal and Toronto explain why there are so many queer contingents calling for a ceasefire in Gaza

By Lito Howse, Ziya Jones • November 21, 2023 5:39 pm EDT

At many protests demanding a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, queer and trans people have joined the call to end the violence and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza.

On November 12, Xtra went to ceasefire marches in Toronto and Montreal to find out why so many LGBTQ2S+ people stand in solidarity with Palestinians.

Many of the queers we spoke with pointed out that the Israeli government engages in “pinkwashing,” saying the government leverages its liberal policies towards LGBTQ+ rights to shield itself from criticism regarding bombing civilians in Gaza. Others wanted to counter the narrative that there are no queers in Palestine.

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Lito Howse (they/them) is a queer and trans/non-binary identified videographer, editor and producer based in Toronto. They previously worked for the CBC where they wrote TV stories, edited and control room produced for News Network. They also produced videos for CBC Radio and wrote web articles for shows like The Current and As It Happens, among other roles. They speak English.

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Ziya Jones is the managing editor of Script Health.

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Video, Activism, Middle East, Human Rights

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