Pride and Prejudice: Local Jews Feel Unwelcome at Capital Pride Parade

While Capital Pride has a mandate of being inclusive, the local Jewish community will not be supporting or participating in this year’s event.

A pro-Palestinian political stance by Capital Pride has irked many community leaders and politicians, as well as the Jewish community.

On August 6, Capital Pride Ottawa issued a statement confirming its solidarity with Palestine.

“Following Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, the world watched in horror as the full extent of the atrocities committed against civilians were uncovered’” the statement reads. “We condemn in the strongest possible terms the acts of terrorism committed that day. By the same token, we cannot stay silent in the face of Israel’s endless and brutal campaign in Gaza and mounting violence in the West Bank, where innocent Palestinians—many of whom have friends, families and loved ones in our communities—are being slaughtered, dehumanized and dispossessed of their land in flagrant violation of international law. The situation is so dire that the International Court of Justice expressed grave concerns with the state of the war in Gaza, stating that there is a plausible risk of genocide.

Capital Pride goes on to accuse Irael of ‘pink-washing’, which critics call Israel’s attempt to link itself to the LGBTQ+ community as a counterpart to the Palestinian identity of being violently homophobic.

“Part of the growing Islamophobic sentiment we are witnessing is fuelled by the pink-washing of the war in Gaza and racist notions that all Palestinians are homophobic and transphobic,” reads the statement. “By portraying itself as a protector of the rights of queer and trans people in the Middle East, Israel seeks to draw attention away from its abhorrent human rights abuses against Palestinians. We refuse to be complicit in this violence. Indeed, to withhold our solidarity from Palestinians in the name of upholding 2SLGBTQIA+ rights betrays the promise of liberation that guides our work. We join our voice to the calls for greater protection of civilians and reject any attempts to use a devastating conflict as a pretext to advance hate.”

The Ottawa Jewish Federation made an announcement Aug. 14 that they were withdrawing from this year’s Capital Pride Parade.

“Given Capital Pride’s refusal to adjust its stance, and the significant harm this position poses to the safety of the Jewish community, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa and our community partners have made the difficult but necessary decision to withdraw from this year’s Pride parade,” read their statement. “This choice was not made lightly, but we cannot in good conscience support and event that marginalizes Jewish 2SLGBTQ+ individuals and the broader Jewish community. This choice also does not align with Capital Pride’s advertised mission: respecting the full diversity of the 2SDLGBTQ+ community.

“By disregarding our concerns and inviting this year’s Pride event to become a protest against Israel, Capital Pride has chosen a divisive position that further marginalizes Jews, who are victimized by more hate crimes than any other group in Canada. Anti-Israel protests have repeatedly targeted Jewish communities with threats and violence across Canada, including here in Ottawa.”

On Thurs., Aug. 15, Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe announced that he will not be attending this year’s Pride Parade because of the divisive stance taken by the organizers.

“Ottawa is a kind and welcoming city where everyone should feel included,” stated Sutcliffe in a post on X. “I’m disappointed that despite conversations with the Jewish community, the board of Capital Pride has chosen to stand behind its original statement that caused significant hurt and distress for many members of the Jewish community. This decision by the board, days before the start of Pride, has unfortunately created an atmosphere where many now do not feel welcome to participate. Pride has always been and should continue to be a celebration of diversity and inclusion where no one feels excluded for who they are. I encourage the board of Capital Pride to take steps to ensure no one feels excluded this year.

 “It’s important to continue to support the 2LGBTQ+ community and defend the values of equity and inclusion that the Pride movement has always stood for. I will be attending Pride activities in the days ahead but unless there is a change in approach, I will not be participating in events organized by Capital Pride this year.”

Nepean MPP Lisa MacLeod, who represented Carleton from 2006-2018 before the Nepean-Carleton riding was split, was among those who immediately criticized Capital Pride after its statement. MacLeod called the Pride position antisemitic.

“As a supporter of both @JewishOttawa and @FierteCapPride, I am heart sick to see Pride distract from its support for a safe space for LGBTQ++ with a focus instead on the Israel- Hamas/ Houthi/ Hezbollah/ Iran conflict,” MacLeod posted on the X platform.  “Israel is the only functioning democracy in the Middle East.  It is also the only safe space in that region for the LGBTQ++.  This decision is antisemitic and it will prevent Ottawa Jews who are LGBTQ++ from feeling safe at Pride.  I truly hope they reconsider this ill-considered proposal.”

Critics of the Capital Pride statement say that it will make Jewish members of Ottawa’s LGTBQ+ community unwelcome and targeted at the August 25 Capital Pride parade.

Charlie Senack, a reporter for the Manotick Messenger and a member of the LGTBQ+ community, penned an opinion piece for the Ottawa Citizen on the topic.

“Pride is supposed to be a celebration of all, regardless of your race, sexual orientation or background. Yet Capital Pride decided to go against the rules of logic when it announced this week that it supports Palestine during the war in the Middle East,” wrote Senack in his Ottawa Citizen piece. “How an LGBTQ2S+ organization can support a country that’s killed people for living as their authentic selves is beyond me.”

Senack pointed out that in Palestine, being in a same-sex relationship is illegal and can come with a prison sentence of up to 10 years. He pointed out that in October, 2022, Ahmad Abu Murkhiyeh, a 25-year-old gay Palestinian native, was found decapitated with a severed head near his family’s home because of his homosexuality.

In 1988, Israel became the only country in the Middle East to decriminalize homosexuality.

“You would never see the sights of rainbow flags, sparkles and drag queens across the border in Palestine,” Senack wrote in the Citizen. “There, same-sex relations are still illegal, and men face up to 10 years in prison if they are caught. That does not exactly match Capital Pride’s mission of ‘respecting the full diversity of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.’”

Senack said in the Citizen piece that he will not be attending this year’s event.

“As a proud queer person, I’m disappointed and angered by Capital Pride’s decision to publicly take a stance toward protecting one marginalized group and not another, in a volatile conflict that has detrimental effects to both parties,” Senack wrote.

“I no longer feel safe attending, nor do I want to support, a cause that is creating a further divide in an already polarized world. I also think of my Jewish friends who I know feel sidelined and discriminated against in a war they did not create. I’ll be celebrating my rights on the sidelines this year.”