Saturday, April 3, 2010

Won't QUIT, quit? Please?

Ok, Ok, I'll do it. I'll write about QUIT. This is difficult for me, since I know many of the people involved through solidarity work, but I'l try not to judge.
San Francisco's QUIT (Queers UnderminingISraeli Terror) is the perfect example of an organization that plays a zero-sum game with respects to the Israel/palestinian conflict.

Israel is the best place in the Middle East for gays. There. I've said it. Unless you are in a fundementalist religious community, living life openly gay is not a problem. Same sex marriages from elsewhere are recognized, we can adopt children, serve in the miliatry. Its not so bad.


Queer Life in Israel



Queer Life in Iran

Its really not so bad, especially when you consider the neighborhood.

But for QUIT, rather than embracing the fact that Israel gets this right, not perfect, but certainly moving in the right direction, attacks everything Israel.
There is a LGBT cultural Festival this month in San Francisco, "Out in Israel" Films, classes, cooking, art. Its a nice mix. Yet QUIT insists on protesting it.


QUIT! Queers Undermining Israeli Terrorismpresents
Queer Eye for the Palestinian Village
outside the opening night of the Out In Israel LGBT Cultural Festival
Thursday, April 8
6:15 p.m., Roxie Theater
16th between Valencia and Guerrero, San
Francisco

All queers wanted! Let's bring our creativity and spirit to say No Queerwashing of War Crimes!
It's not about being Out in Israel, it's about getting our community and our money Out of Israel!



Sorry, QUIT, it is about being "Out in Israel". Its not about your need to protest anything that doesn't fit your pre-conceived notions of "political correctness". Why can't you accept that its not about winning or losing? Why can't you accept the notion that like all countries, Israel has good and bad qualities? Embrace the good. Reject the bad. Work towards change. Your defacto rejection of everything Israeli paints you into a corner with extremist groups. Its not where I want to be. And if you thought about it for more than 10 minutes, I'd guess its not where you want to be, either.

2 comments:

  1. Have you seen the photos here?

    http://www.zombietime.com/zomblog/?p=1470

    "One of the most bizarre groups in California’s political galaxy goes by the name of Q.U.I.T. — Queers Undermining Israeli Terror — also known sometimes simply as Queers for Palestine."

    This part is so true

    “In fact, the cognitive dissonance of Queers for Palestine — marching in support of those who would kill you if they were given the opportunity — only serves to illuminate the cognitive dissonance of the entire “anti-war movement.” Because the goal of the “War on Terror” is to protect the liberal, free, egalitarian democratic society that we all cherish from the forces of oppression, totalitarianism and religious fundamentalism. Yet the anti-war crowd strives to compel the very soldiers who are defending them to lay down their arms, as if the battle would suddenly cease if one army were to stop fighting. So the anti-war crowd must ignore the evidence that one side is fighting to impose the harshest form of religious conservatism not just on their own countries but on the entire world given half a chance, whereas the other side (our side) is fighting to preserve a progressive civilization. That’s right, folks — this war’s for you.”

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the link- a friend was there and we will get some more photos up as soon as we can.

    Fatima

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