MARCH WITH US AT THE (OFFICIAL) DYKE MARCH IN SOLIDARITY WITH PALESTINE!

Who: Dykes and Trans People for Palestine (DTPP)

When: Saturday July 3, 2010 at 1:30 pm

Where: Outside the 519 Church Street Community Centre

Who are we?

Dykes & Trans People for Palestine is a group that has come together this year to organize a Palestine Solidarity contingent for this year’s Dyke March. We recognize and speak out against Israeli Apartheid and the Israeli Occupation of Palestine. As queers, we recognize that homophobia exists in Israel, Palestine, and across all borders. But queer Palestinians face the additional challenge of living under occupation, subject to Israeli state violence and control. There is no pride in apartheid.

Many members of DTPP have marched with Queers Against Israeli Apartheid and Women in Solidarity with Palestine (formerly the Jewish Women’s Committee to End the Occupation) in Pride Parades and Dyke Marches since the early 1990’s. Our history of Queer Palestine solidarity work is long and strong!

This year we will send a clear message to Pride Toronto, the City of Toronto and Pride’s corporate sponsors that we will not be silent or censored! We will speak loud and proud as we always have in support of the struggle for freedom and justice in Palestine.

Our Plans!

We plan to march as a Palestine solidarity contingent at this year's official Dyke March. We will be using the term "Israeli Apartheid" in our signs, banners, and messaging. Our approach is one of peaceful non-violence and we ask anyone who wishes to march with us to respect this – we do not want confrontations with the police or any others present and we do not anticipate being arrested. We invite anyone who wishes to denounce Israeli Apartheid, to denounce censorship, and to stand in solidarity with queers in Palestine to join us. Our contingent will be gathering outside the 519 at 1:30 pm.

Although we respect those who wish to participate in the "Take Back the Dyke" event, we are a different group. We will not be boycotting the Dyke March. Rather we will be marching in protest, and in denunciation of the forces that have attempted to silence us. We will march in the Dyke March as many of us have done for many years – we will not be banned!

Contact info:

Email: wsp.toronto@gmail.com

Facebook group: Dykes and Trans People for Palestine http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=134850523192854

The Bisexual Stigma

Unfortunately bisexual identity still does not have cultural legitimacy accorded to heterosexual and lesbian/gay identities, (possibly because of the slutty representations on reality tv - thank you Tila Tequila) other than Ms. Tequila i am genuinely confounded by the lesbian and gay communities inability to see bisexuality as a legitimate sexuality. As a Bisexual woman I prefer the term queer because bisexuality has such a negative cultural stigma that delegitimizes my sexuality, particularly within adamant gay and lesbian communities that believe bisexuality is just a stop over to gay or lesbo island. This year at pride, i experienced some homophobia and bi-phobia. However, it was the bi-phobic conversation between myself and a lesbian that was particularly off putting - the conversation went something like this:

me: i was thinking of taking that lesbian studies course in SDS, how was it?
Lesbian: but aren't you *just* bi ?
me: and aren't you're *just* a lesbian?
Lesbian: i see what you mean but you probably won't be able to relate to the readings

I don't self identify as lesbian but i don't think that absolves my desire to understand and learn about lesbian theories. One of my favorite articles on sexuality is Adrienne Rich's "Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence" - this article gave me a strong understanding about the various degrees of female friendships and lesbian existences - Rich de-sexualizes the term lesbian through her corollary term "lesbian continuum" and as a result is able to call attention to the variety of bonds formed between women and the various functions those bonds play in the lives of women. Creating divides between lesbian women and bisexual women can be incredibly harmful to female friendships, community building and the celebration of sexuality in general. This is exactly why i was so confounded by such an arrogant comment, which unfortunately i have heard before.

To say bisexual woman cannot relate to lesbian issues only creates a hostile and dichotomous divide between bisexuality as inferior to so-called superior lesbian and gay communities who are culturally considered to be more legitimate. Am I ignorant because i have not fully transitioned my bisexuality into a lesbian identity? am i a traitor due to my non-gender exclusive desires? or is it the heterosexual privilege i am awarded if i am with a man?

In the United States lesbian and gay communities want a predominantly heterosexual and patriarchal system to grant them gay marriage, wouldn't this require politicians to empathize with the their desire for equality? After having conversations about lesbian and gay hostility towards bisexuals, i am always left wondering where the empathy is?

I have always perceived the lesbian and gay community to be a place where queer sexuality is celebrated and safe - but after considering these tensions i start to wonder where the celebration of sexual diversity has gone? If one lesbian believes bisexuals are incapable of empathizing lesbian identities, then how many other lesbians believe the same thing? what happen to solidarity?