QUEERS AGAINST ISRAELI APARTHEID (QAIA) is proud to welcome Sarah Schulman with a reading from her new book, "Israel/Palestine and the Queer International." In her book, Schulman questions the contradiction between Israel's investment in presenting itself as gay friendly-financially sponsoring gay film festivals and parades-and its denial of the rights of Palestinians. At the same time, she talks with straight Palestinian activists about their position in relation to homosexuality and gay rights in Palestine and internationally (http://www.amazon.com/Israel-Palestine-Queer-International-Schulman/dp/0822353733).
This event is a huge victory for free speech and queer organizing, and we hope you'll come celebrate it with us. Beginning in March 2011, the NYC LGBT Center banned any discussion of Palestine, in response to pressure from wealthy supporters of Israel's anti-Palestinian policies.
In February 2013, Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA) applied to the NYC LGBT Community Center for space for this reading. But in response to that denial and the two years history of censorship at the Center, the LGBT community mobilized in outrage, and overturned the ban.
From Palestinian Queers for BDS: 'As Palestinian queers, our struggle is not only against social injustice and our rights as a queer minority in Palestinian society, but rather, our main struggle is one against Israel's colonization, occupation and apartheid; a system that has oppressed us for the past 63 years. In the last years Israel has been leading an international campaign that tries to present Israel as the "only democracy" and the "gay haven" in the Middle East, while ironically portraying Palestinians, who suffer every single day from Israel's state racism and terrorism, as barbaric and homophobic.' (pqbds.com)
For more information, please visit QAIA-NYC: queersagainstisraeliapartheid.blogspot.com.
This event is Free & open to the public.
Monday, March 11, 7PM
NYC LGBT Community Center (208 West 13th St.)
Facebook: www.facebook.com/events/346534565451256/
