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| Dear reader, June is LGBTQ Pride Month, which means four weeks of parties, parades and commemorations. But one march in Washington, D.C., scheduled for Friday, is attracting attention for all the wrong reasons: the D.C. Dyke March has banned the “Jewish Pride” flag from its Friday event. The Forward has covered this in depth and has the backstory ready for you. Here’s what you need to know: Dyke March organizer Rae Gaines – who is herself Jewish and a leader in the local chapter of the Jewish anti-Occupation group IfNotNow – told a local Jewish LGBTQ activist that the Israeli flag, as well as “flags that resemble Israeli flags, such as a pride flag with a Star of David in the middle,” would not be accepted. Palestinian flags are okay, though. This policy was done to make sure Arab-Americans at the Dyke March felt safe and accepted, Gaines told the Forward – though she admitted that banning a flag with the symbol of Judaism would make many Jews feel excluded. “This is not progressive. It’s anti-Semitic. And it’s disgusting,” gay Jewish writer Peter Fox wrote in a Forward op-ed. “The Star of David is one of Judaism’s oldest symbols. It dates back many centuries before the founding of Israel. If a Jewish symbol makes you feel uncomfortable, the problem is with you, not the symbol.” If this sounds familiar, there’s a reason for that. Almost the same exact thing happened at the Chicago Dyke March in 2017. This is not just about the Dyke March, or the LGBTQ community. In all sorts of activist spaces, from immigration advocacy to grassroots Democratic politics to the Women's March, Jews have felt pressure to condemn Israel if they want acceptance from fellow progressives. But it’s not all bad news when it comes to Jewish-LGBTQ relations: This week, after the owner of a gay bar in Minneapolis was revealed to have written anti-Semitic Facebook posts, the local gay and Jewish communities worked together to organize a protest and boycott campaign – even getting the mayor to join in. We hope you find these articles helpful. Please let us know what you think! We’re always eager to hear from you. Best wishes, Aiden Pink Deputy news editor
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