Bogumił Pacak-Gamalski
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has been known to be a friend and ally of LGBTQ+ community in Canada. In general, his personal and to a large extend political stance is in favor of inclusion and full participation in all aspects of private and public life of all segments of society. Long gone are old, somewhat paternalistic attitudes of tolerance. They have been rightfully relegated to history. The LGBTQ+ community does not need to be ‘tolerated’. We need and are fully equal parts of all spheres of public life. It is those, who hold the disgusting attitude of homophobia that have finally become the true fringes of society in Canada.
But knowing very well our own, very long struggle against ostracism, against hatred and indeed physical violence, we (LGBTQ+ community) often sympathize with those, who face that hatred, scorn and ostracism for who they are. For many different reasons. None is more for the past months than Palestinian people, their children, the elderly being denied the most basic right – a right to their own country, on land they lived from time immemorial.
They are being slaughter right now, they have become a part of insidious and murderous way of shooting game: the Israelis tell them to move from one spot to the other and as they – terrified – try, the Israeli bombs are being dropped on their heads. As of now the number of massacred Palestinians stands at 40 000. They have no homes anymore, no hospitals, no shops to buy food, no schools. The other day an Israeli Jew (not even a military or police – no, private bandit) just came to a Palestinian home (far away from the Gaza executions of Palestinians) and shot dead the Palestinian owner of the home and declared it to be his now.
So there is no surprise that the LGBTQ+ community feels often and by large, as an ally for the Palestinians. They know the suffering, the persecution. That does not make as an ally of Hamas or advocating violence against Jews. But we will stand with the oppressed, the hunted, the ones, who are subject to the terror of state organized genocide.
This is not antisemitism. It is not hatred of Jews. This is pro-life, pro basic human rights, basic political rights. This is against creation of new Cambodian killing fields of Khmer Rouge. I personally, a Canadian and a Pole, who is still traumatized of the history of Polish Jews during the second world war cannot fathom that their children, grand and great grandchildren, can do toward others the things that – at times – resembled, what was done to their forefathers during 2 world war. Maybe that comparison goes too far, probably it does. But emotions are hard to control, when you watch the news, see the terrified mothers trying to shelter their children, bodies of babies, people lining up to get some scraps of food.
When I read the article in todays ‘National Post’ about Justin Trudeau and his government refusing to take part in Ottawa’s Pride Parade because the Parade organizers have a message of support for Palestinians in Gaza and that he did it because of pressure from Jewish organizations in Ottawa – it makes me mad as hell. I don’t want MY prime minister to be an agent of Israel’s lobby. I want MY prime minister to be on the side of empathy, supporting the oppressed, the ones being slaughtered in thousands. The Justin Trudeau I remember and knew. Justin Trudeau the world fell in love with years ago for being such staunch supporter of the weak ones, the oppressed, persecuted.
And no, Prime Minister you have no right to co-organize another Pride Parade somewhere else in Ottawa by Israeli agents. The Pride Parade is organized by the organizers chosen by LGBTQ+ community in Ottawa. One parade. You are welcome as guest to that parade. You don’t have to come. You can even issue a statement why. But don’t dare to be the emperor, who will divide our community.
I will quote Liberal Party statement of that situation: “In light of recent decisions by the Capital Pride board, the Liberal Party has decided not to participate in Capital Pride events this year, and instead will host our own event to celebrate Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQI+ communities,” by Liberal party spokesperson Peter Lund.
Ottawa LGBTQI+ community organizes and hosts Pride event in Ottawa. One, done by us – not by the government and some Jewish activists in Ottawa. Period.
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