For Immediate Release

PRESS ADVISORY

CONTACT: 

Pauline Park  

(718) 662-8893 (c); (718) 424-4003 (h)

paulinepark@earthlink.net

OCCUPY THE CENTER!

Protest censorship by New York’s LGBT Community Center

WHO:  Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and other groups (list below)

WHEN:  Saturday, March 3, 2012 from 4-6 PM

WHERE: LGBT Community Center, 208 W. 13^th St. between 7^th and 8^th Avenues

WHY: One year ago, amidst great controversy, the LGBT Center banned groups opposing Israeli apartheid. Protesters will confront the Center’s censorship policy and its secret closed-door board of directors meetings. 

It’s been a year since NY’s LGBT Community Center banned Siegebusters, the anti-occupation organizers, from using space at the Center. Since that time NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid has also been banned from the Center—and a “moratorium” has been imposed on ANY discussion of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict (meaning “discussion” of support for Palestinian rights).  The Center’s board promised, but never delivered, a policy revision clarifying their rental/access/programming guidelines.

On Saturday, March 3, as part of Israeli Apartheid Week, protesters will enact an end to the ban on Palestinian-related organizing at the Center, and re-institute the Center’s original access policy of full inclusion for all queers who organize for liberation. The “moratorium” is over!

The wealthy and powerful 1% should not be allowed to silence the voices of the 99%.  Queers Against Israeli Apartheid will defy the ban on March 3 -- Occupy the Center!

DEMANDS:

1. End the ban on Palestine solidarity organizing at the Center

2. Open the Center to all who respect its stated mission.

3. Open the Center's board meetings and decision-making process to the community.

ENDORSING GROUPS:

          Queers for an Open LGBT Center (QFOLC)

          alQaws for Sexual and Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society

          Adalah-NY: The New York Campaign for the Boycott of Israel

          Jewish Voice for Peace-NY                                                                                                                            

          International Socialist Organization

          Brooklyn for Peace

          International Action Center                                                                                                                    

          Palestinian Queers for BDS

          Jews Say No!

          Metropolitan Community Church of New York                                                                                               New York Association for Gender Rights Advocacy (NYAGRA)                                                           Sylvia Rivera Law Project

          Workers World Party

          Young, Jewish and Proud

          FIERCE 

For more information:  www.queersagainstisraeliapartheid.blogspot.com

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FAQ for "Occupy the LGBT Center!"

• Why are we protesting against the LGBT Center?
• What do we want from the LGBT Center?
• Queer liberation and Palestinian self-determination? Aren’t these separate issues?
• What is “pinkwashing”?

NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid: queersagainstisraeliapartheid.blogspot.com
For info on Israeli Apartheid Week: newyork.apartheidweek.org

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Flyer for 3/3 action: Occupy the Center!

Saturday, March 3, 2012
PROTEST 4-7pm
@ LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th St.

Occupy the NYC LGBT Center!
End the ban on Palestine solidarity organizing!

Since March 2011, the NYC LGBT Center has banned Palestine solidarity activists (queer and non-LGBT) from meeting at the Center and imposed a "moratorium" on any discussion of the Palestinian struggle. This censorship, in response to pressure from wealthy supporters of Israel’s anti-Palestinian policies, flies in the face of our community's commitment to diversity and offering safe space for discussion of "controversial" issues. Petitions, appeals to meet with the Center’s board of directors, calls and letters have not succeeded in winning back our right to free speech and assembly.

If you agree that the wealthy and powerful 1% should not be allowed to silence the voices of the 99%, then join us in defying this ban.
Occupy the Center!

We demand:
1) End the ban on Palestine solidarity organizing at the Center.
2) Open the Center to all who respect its stated mission.
3) Open the Center's board meetings and decision-making process to the community.

This event is open to all.

Initiated by NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid: queersagainstisraeliapartheid.blogspot.com
Facebook: NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid

This event is part of Israeli Apartheid Week: newyork.apartheidweek.org
http://www.facebook.com/events/106123286178242/

Read more »

March 3: Occupy the NYC LGBT Center!

Saturday, March 3, 2012
PROTEST 4-7pm
@ LGBT Community Center, 208 West 13th St.

Occupy the NYC LGBT Center!
End the ban on Palestine solidarity organizing!

Since March 2011, the NYC LGBT Center has banned Palestine solidarity activists (queer and non-LGBT) from meeting at the Center and imposed a "moratorium" on any discussion of the Palestinian struggle. This censorship, in response to pressure from wealthy supporters of Israel’s anti-Palestinian policies, flies in the face of our community's commitment to diversity and offering safe space for discussion of "controversial" issues. Petitions, appeals to meet with the Center’s board of directors, calls and letters have not succeeded in winning back our right to free speech and assembly.

If you agree that the wealthy and powerful 1% should not be allowed to silence the voices of the 99%, then join us in defying this ban.

Occupy the Center!

We demand:

1) End the ban on Palestine solidarity organizing at the Center.

2) Open the Center to all who respect its stated mission.

3) Open the Center's board meetings and decision-making process to the community.

This event is open to all.

Initiated by NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid
queersagainstisraeliapartheid.blogspot.com
Facebook: NYC Queers Against Israeli Apartheid

This event is part of Israeli Apartheid Week.
newyork.apartheidweek.org
http://www.facebook.com/events/106123286178242/

Read more »

Why We Fight: Refusing NYC Arab-baiting, refusing Israel's pinkwashing

The LGBT Center's ban on “groups meeting about the Israel-Palestine conflict” is racist – and it makes the queer community an instrument of racism. It extends the practice of pinkwashing beyond facilitating Israeli apartheid, and into a facilitation of New York's anti-Arab/anti-Muslim hate.

Let's be clear about what the Center's ban does: it brands any queer who stands up against the racism and violence of Israeli apartheid as a terrorist sympathizer, and a threat to the safety of “good” and “normal” queers. It brands as “dangerous” Palestinian queers' call for support for their human rights, and any talk of Palestinian human rights in general. It shuts out Palestinian queers themselves. It tells Arab and Muslim queers that they're only welcome if they promise not to mention an issue deeply affecting their communities. By stark contrast, we're allowed talk about Israel at the Center all day long, as long as we ignore its six decades of occupation and the existence of the Palestinians, queer and straight, under its military control.

That deeply unequal impact is not an accident.

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