As part of the campaign, the organization has issued a new report documenting antisemitism against queer Jews alongside calls to action for Pride organizers.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, as Pride celebrations kick off across the country, A Wider Bridge marked the launch of its PrideSafe campaign with the release of their report: Unsafe Spaces: Addressing Antisemitism Against LGBTQ Jews and Ensuring Pride Safety. The report outlines a pattern of antisemitism against queer Jews by examining incidents of hate over the past year and includes calls to action for Pride organizers to make Pride welcoming and safe for all communities.
This campaign emerged as a result of the alarming rise in antisemitism directed at LGBTQ Jews across the globe. A Wider Bridge’s broader PrideSafe Campaign is a national initiative to ensure that Pride remains a space of joy, solidarity, and safety for all LGBTQ people, including those who are visibly and proudly Jewish. Other efforts that are part of A Wider Bridge’s campaign to ensure a safe Pride for all include the distribution of resources to over 40,000 individuals, including rabbis, cantors, JCC workers, LGBTQ center workers, LGBTQ equality organizations, pride organizations, grassroots organization leaders, and more; several safety trainings for A Wider Bridge members, Pride organizers, Jewish communal professionals, and non-Jewish allies, including through the Security Community Network; and outreach to federal and state legislators to discuss safety concerns in Jewish LGBTQ communities.
The report details verified documentation of hate incidents against queer Jews including threats and physical intimidation, online and verbal harassment, institutional discrimination and boycotts, and exclusionary practices. Specific examples include the Dyke March Committee barring Zionists from Washington D.C. Pride; Columbia University club LionLez excluding Zionists from an event and comparing Israelis to Nazis; and LGBTQ Jews in Cincinnati being met with signs accusing Israel of genocide, along with reports of people shouting “Occupier” as Jewish participants walked by.
“These attacks are reprehensible and heartbreaking. Queer Jews are experiencing increasingly narrowing options for spaces in which they feel safe and can show up as their full selves. That must change,” said Rabbi Denise Eger, Interim Executive Director of A Wider Bridge. “Pride is about resilience in the face of discrimination and solidarity in our fight for acceptance. We’re calling on all Pride organizers and queer communities to step up, pay attention, and ensure that discrimination, hatred, and violence of any kind do not overtake events that are meant to reflect joy and empowerment for all LGBTQ people.”
In order to ensure that Pride remains a safe space for all queer people, including those who are Jewish and/or express support for Israel, A Wider Bridge has issued a set of calls to action in their report to Pride organizers across the country. These include:
- Commit to Safety for All
- Train Pride Volunteers and Stewards
- Engage Jewish Partners in Planning
- Vet Performers
- Publicly Affirm Jewish Inclusion
- Ensure Equitable Participation
- Intervene Swiftly on Hate Speech
- Support Jewish Mental Health and Healing
More details on these calls to action can be found in the report. Interview opportunities with A Wider Bridge are available via the media contact above.