Action Toolkit

How to take collective action for palestine

as U.S. queer orgs & collectives

From the U.S. to Palestine, queer and trans people are at the forefront of resisting systems opposed to our very existence; we lead fights to resist racism, colonialism, and policing. 

That’s why, when the Israeli government simultaneously abuses queer Palestinians through genocidal violence and ongoing targeted abuse of queer Palestinians as informants, we refuse to be used for Israel’s genocidal agenda. 

Now is the moment to push our queer communities in the US to rise to the question: ‘which side are you on: justice or genocide?’ We will reject the corporate queer agenda and rise up with a queer agenda that centers Palestinian and collective liberation.

Definitions

Pinkwashing

Pinkwashing is a strategy of showcasing LGBTQ+ rights protections as evidence of liberalism and democracy, and ultimately legitimacy. This tactic is used by a state or organization to deflect from or legitimize their violence imposed on other countries or communities. 

Homonationalism

Homonationalism is the practice of linking LGBTQ+ rights and existence to the state/nation. Often used as a mechanism of legitimizing the state’s monopoly on power, homonationalism justifies the systemic oppression of marginalized folks within the queer and trans community by means of “protecting” the security of the nation.

Here’s how we can take strategic collective action for Palestinans and collective liberation:

1

Organize our organizations to adopt public stances & policies aligned with BDS and full Palestinian liberation.

  1. Our statements must directly challenge the pinkwashing & Islamophobic narratives used by Israel and Zionist sympathizers to legitimize Israel’s genocide ex: Voices for London’s Palestine is a queer issue framing

  2. Veteran queer revolutionaries ACT UP NY made a powerful example by endorsing boycott, divestment, and sanctions and organize their members for individual boycott & collective action for queer institutions to divest from Zionism

2

Build communities of care & healing spaces in the movement, centering queer Palestinians

Support mutual aid funds & asks from queer Palestinian organizers and build healing spaces like:

  1. Cultural organizing & community space ex: FYVP’s Souk Marche in LA

  2. Emotional support circles ex: Mubaadarat, Rest for Resistance

3

Organize direct actions to challenge queer and “ally” organizations to stop supporting Zionism and end ties with weapons manufacturers that provide from genocide

Direct action Ex: Palestinian Feminist Collective’s Shut Down Colonial Feminism targets Se. Kirsten Gillibrand, UN Women, and the New York Times

4

Digital actions, poli ed, and poster & art campaigns to combat pinkwashing of Israel’s genocide & ongoing colonialism

5

Basebuilding in the queer community for Palestine through teach-ins

6

Skill up your community to take direct for Palestine

Deescalation, marshaling, and direct action trainings to skill up so you can show up.