The UK Government's crackdown on our right to expression is growing
In May, the UK plummeted to its lowest-ever ranking of the European Rainbow Index, which measures European countries based on their LGBTQ rights laws. According to the index, the UK is now the second-worst country in all of western Europe and Scandinavia to be queer in – a steep drop from having topped the list as the best country just 10 years ago.
READ MORE: Glasgow Pride bans political parties from event amid Supreme Court row
This year was also the second year in a row in which the 'official' pride event – organised by Glasgow's Pride – was outsized by those marching with No Pride in Genocide (NPiG), a grassroots group of queer individuals and organisations who recognise the link between the struggle of LGBTQ people in Scotland and around the world, and the struggle of the Palestinian people facing genocide at the hands of the Israeli state.
The group came about last year when it emerged that Glasgow's Pride's 'corporate allies' included, among others, investment firm JPMorgan Chase – the multinational investment firm with huge investments in Israeli weapons firms. When the biggest threat to a queer Palestinian is an Israeli bomb, it's not good enough to simply stay silent. When questioned, Glasgow's Pride both this year and last rejected NPiG's position and offensively dismissed its solidarity with queer Palestinians as 'pink washing' – a term more commonly applied to corporations who advertise their support LGBTQ rights for financial gain while taking a lack of meaningful action to materially improve LGBTQ lives.
In fact, it's a term you'd far more accurately apply to Glasgow's Pride's corporate sponsors.
At last year's event, NPiG organised the 'radical bloc', which stood against corporate sponsorship of pride and in solidarity with the people of Palestine. It was by far the largest bloc in the march.
This year, following insufficient progress from Glasgow's Pride, NPiG once again formed its own bloc at the rear of the march and was by far the largest group to attend, but those part of it were also determined to prove that a pride event is possible without the involvement of large corporations and those complicit in global atrocities.
They organised a Solidarity Hub, with speakers, panels and attendance from a wide range of grassroots and community organisations. This was an event organised by the community, for the community – and it was a huge success. Hundreds of people attended, and by taking a 'mutual aid' approach in which community members worked together to pool their skills and resources, not a single penny of corporate money was spent.
There are many reasons why the solidarity from the queer community towards the people of Palestine is so strong. The genocidal state of Israel has repeatedly attempted to use queer rights as a defence for its onslaught against the Palestinians, framing itself as a liberal paradise against a homophobic Palestinian regime.
While this fails, of course, to note that same-sex marriage is still not permitted in Israel (not to mention interracial marriage, which continues to be practically impossible in the apartheid state), it's a disgraceful weaponisation of queer identities to excuse the genocide of an innocent civilian population.
READ MORE: SNP members call for 'reparative action' after Israel 'critical friend' comment
It's no surprise that queer people in Glasgow and worldwide are saying 'not in our name'. With multiple credible testimonies from queer Palestinians of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) using their queerness to blackmail them for intelligence, it's clear that the link between the fight for queer liberation and a free Palestine is inextricable.
I think there's another reason, though, why these two movements feel particularly linked in the UK right now – and it all comes down to the authoritarian Westminster government's repeated crackdowns on freedom of expression.
Glasgow's Pride wasn't the only protest happening in the UK over the weekend, with a number of demonstrations taking place across the country against the proscription of non-violent activist group Palestine Action. Dozens of protesters were arrested for holding signs signalling their support for the group, which is now prohibited under the Terrorism Act 2000 and supporting it can carry a sentence of up to 14 years' imprisonment.
While the move itself is authoritarianism to the extreme, the chilling effect it has had on pro-Palestine activism has also been severe, with organisations and individuals who expressed support for Palestine Action before the proscription facing blacklisting by employers and other organisations. Meanwhile, multiple incidents have been reported of individuals across the UK being told by police that their generic pro-Palestine material could breach the proscription order.
It's a brutal attack on free speech and freedom of expression, and it threatens the civil liberties of anyone who stands against our government's support for Israeli genocide.
Meanwhile, in the light of the Supreme Court ruling, trans people across Britain are facing a terrifying crackdown on our own freedom of expression. From being banned from using loos that correspond with our gender, to attempts to segregate us from public life, the ruling and subsequent EHRC guidance is another example of authoritarianism and the reduction of civil liberties by this Labour Government.
READ MORE: Two women charged over 'breaching arms factory' released on bail
Simply put, if a trans woman holds up a pro-Palestine banner, it can be enough for her to be patted down by a male police officer and, if found to be in support of a non-violent direct action group, she can be sent to a male prison for up to 14 years.
This is a country that is deeply, deeply unwell.
It really couldn't be clearer. Not only is the link between queer rights and Palestinian rights stronger than ever, but the struggle in the UK for the right to express ourselves – whether for who we are, or the fundamental principles we believe in – is at a tipping point.
But, as No Pride in Genocide proved in Glasgow on Saturday, it's our community which is ultimately our greatest strength.
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