Solidarity with Capital Pride: Rainbow Alliance Arc-en-Ciel

OPSEU/SEFPO Rainbow Alliance Arc-en-Ciel affirms our solidarity with Capital Pride, which is facing cowardly and undeserved backlash for expressing principled solidarity with the international Palestinian community. We are looking forward to attending Capital Pride in Ottawa this weekend — and we look forward to celebrating with all OPSEU/SEFPO members and the broader community in attendance!As members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community within OPSEU/SEFPO, we cannot stay silent when solidarity becomes conditional. Silence has never protected us. We will not stay silent when bad political actors with harmful agendas capitalize on the violence in Gaza to encourage the rise of hate.Capital Pride rightfully points to the characterization of Palestinians as homophobic and transphobic and Israel as affirming and tolerant — otherwise known as “pink-washing” — as a racist framing which advances hate. It also undermines solidarity and promotes Islamophobic violence.After nearly a year of witnessing unimaginable atrocities committed against the people of Gaza, rejecting to uphold such violence is not a controversial position. As affirmed in our expression of Solidarity with Palestine: A 2SLGBTQUIA+ Perspective, we recognize that the plight of the Palestinian people is deeply connected to our shared struggles against oppression and marginalization.