Pride is about inclusion. Queer Jews shouldn't have to hide who we are
As a lesbian who is a rabbi and longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights, I've celebrated Pride in cities across the country — from West Hollywood to Washington, D.C. Since moving to Austin, I've come to cherish the unique spirit of this community: welcoming, inclusive, progressive and kind.
Yet as Pride season begins nationwide, I'm watching closely — and with genuine concern. At Pride events around the country in recent years, LGBTQ Jews have too often faced open hostility. I've seen troubling videos from past marches in which people were shouted down simply for carrying Jewish or Israeli symbols. Community members have confided in me that they've been explicitly or implicitly pressured to hide parts of their identity to feel welcome. I've read statements from event organizers that, intentionally or not, excluded or erased Jewish participants.
This is not what Pride was meant to be.
Here in Austin, many queer Jews are already asking themselves if they'll feel safe or truly welcome at our own Pride events in August. Many in the Jewish LGBTQ community are already saying they won't march this year because they felt unsafe last year, when our Pride organization failed to create a security plan or even meet then with Jewish leaders. These worries don't come from threats outside our community. They arise from uncertainty about acceptance within it.
And the stakes are even higher now. Less than two weeks ago, two people were murdered outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C., after attending a reception focused on peace and humanitarian aid. The attack took place just steps from an exhibit celebrating LGBTQ Jewish life. It was a painful reminder that even the most inclusive spaces are not immune to hate — and that Jewish safety cannot be taken for granted.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas terrorists massacred more than 1,200 people in Israel, our Jewish community has grappled with profound grief. Yet, in the painful months afterward, our grief has been compounded by something deeply unexpected: rejection.
Across the country, Jewish LGBTQ individuals have experienced hostility at Pride events. Stars of David have been torn from Pride flags. Marchers have been booed or shouted down for visibly embracing their Jewish identity. Some have been told explicitly that their presence, their grief or their Jewish symbols make others uncomfortable or unsafe.
This type of exclusion is not hypothetical. It is painfully real.
Right here in Austin, young people have expressed fears about openly displaying Jewish pride symbols. Parents question whether it will be safe to bring children carrying Israeli flags. Queer Jews of all ages and backgrounds feel forced to choose between their queer and Jewish identities — two essential parts of themselves that should never be at odds. Last year our experience at Pride was hurtful. The antisemitism was real.
Pride was founded on the radical principle of inclusion. The first Pride was a protest, spearheaded by trans women of color who knew firsthand what exclusion felt like — both from mainstream society and within their own communities. We honor their legacy not only by marching but by intentionally making space for everyone who wants to join us.
Jewish identity is not a political statement. It is a lived experience of resilience, diaspora, survival and joy. Queer Jews have always been integral to the fight for LGBTQ rights — from Harvey Milk and Edith "Edie" Windsor to countless LGBTQ Jews and Jewish allies who have helped shape Austin into a beacon of justice, diversity and kindness.
Austin still has time to ensure we don't repeat the mistakes witnessed elsewhere. Organizers can proactively make clear that antisemitism has no place at Pride. They can firmly reject purity tests for participation and affirm that the diversity of our LGBTQ community includes queer Jews and their experiences.
We cannot create a truly liberated world if we ask anyone to hide parts of themselves. This Pride, let us commit to a solidarity that doesn't require silence or conformity but instead celebrates authenticity, courage and intersectionality.
Rabbi Denise L. Eger is the executive director of A Wider Bridge, a national organization focused on combating growing antisemitism within LGBTQ+ communities.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: At Pride, queer Jews shouldn't have to hide who we are | Opinion
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
PA man charged for anti-semitic threat to public official
(WJET/WFXP)– A Pennsylvania man is facing federal charges after allegedly threatening an Allegheny County official using anti-semitic tropes. Federal authorities have charged 29-year-old Edward Owens Jr. of Elizabeth, PA, for that alleged threat made on social media on May 20, which read: North East parents arrested after child found wandering street naked 'We're coming for you [emoji of person raising right hand] [German flag emoji] be afraid. Go back to Israel or better yet, exterminate yourself and save us the trouble. 109 countries for a reason. We will not stop until your kind is nonexistent.' The threat was investigated by the FBI, leading to a criminal complaint being filed. The phrase '109 countries for a reason' is a reference to a frequently used assertion by anti-semites that claims Jews have been expelled by 109 countries and support further expelling Jewish people, according to the Anti-Defamation League. Clearfield County man faces over 2,800 charges for abuse of young girls Prosecutors also requested Owens Jr. be held without bail, claiming he's a public threat. A hearing for that is set to take place on Thursday, June 5. The name of the official was not released. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
What we know about Colorado suspect's life leading up to antisemitic attack
For a full year, Mohamed Sabry Soliman planned a violent assault driven by his simmering anger toward Israel and hatred of 'Zionists,' he told federal authorities. That plot culminated on Sunday, when the 45-year-old Egyptian national left an iPhone with messages to his wife and five children in his house, drove to downtown Boulder with a homemade flamethrower and Molotov cocktails and attacked demonstrators at a peaceful Jewish event to support hostages in Gaza, according to federal hate crime charging documents. Twelve people were injured in the attack, during which Soliman yelled 'Free Palestine,' according to the FBI. He later told authorities that 'he wanted to kill all Zionist people and wished they were all dead,' an affidavit said. Only one thing held Soliman back from attacking sooner, he told authorities: Waiting for his daughter to graduate high school. A Colorado Springs Gazette article published in April profiled a student matching his daughter's description as a recipient of a scholarship. According to the article, she described in her scholarship application how her family had immigrated to the US after living in Kuwait, noting that her father had undergone a 'difficult surgery' when she was young 'that restored his ability to walk.' The girl said the incident inspired her to pursue medical school – a dream that would have been impossible in Kuwait but within reach in America. Now, Mohamed Sabry Soliman faces a federal hate crime charge and state charges of attempted murder. Soliman was born in Egypt and lived in Kuwait for 17 years before moving to Colorado, according to a state arrest affidavit. CNN reviewed a Facebook account matching his name and date of birth. On the account's page, which was last updated about 10 years ago, Soliman said he attended high school and college in Egypt and later moved to Kuwait, where he had an accounting job, according to the page. That account featured photos of Mohamed Morsi, the Muslim Brotherhood leader who served as Egypt's president from 2012 to 2013, when he was ousted in a military coup that triggered mass protests and sit-ins in Cairo. Posts on the Facebook page expressed support for the Muslim Brotherhood protests against the removal of Morsi. One post from August 2013 featured a four-finger salute with a yellow background, a symbol supportive of the Rabaa al-Adawiya Square encampment, which was violently dispersed by Egyptian security forces loyal to Egypt's then-defense minister and current president, Abdel Fattah al-Sisi. According to the newspaper article on the student whose identifying details match those of Soliman's daughter, her father at one point underwent a serious medical procedure on his legs – one she described in her scholarship application as 'nothing short of 'magic.'' When the family lived in Kuwait, the daughter stated, the success of the procedure inspired her to study medicine – but 'the prospect of attending medical school there was not an option' as a non-Kuwaiti. 'The move to the United States provides a chance to fulfill her dream,' the article said. 'Coming to the USA has fundamentally changed me,' she wrote. 'Most importantly, I came to appreciate that family is the unchanging support.' Mohamed Sabry Soliman first tried to come to the US in 2005 but was denied a visa, law enforcement sources told CNN. He entered the US in August 2022 as a non-immigrant visitor and in 2023 received a two-year work authorization that expired in March, a Homeland Security official said Monday. With his wife and children, he moved into a two-story home on the far eastern edge of Colorado Springs and he found work, at least briefly, as an accountant. The health care company Veros Health said in a statement he was an employee starting in May 2023 but left three months later. The company did not respond to questions about his departure. Soliman had also worked as an Uber driver, according to the company, which noted all drivers must pass a criminal and driving history background check and hold a valid Social Security number. The company said his account has now been banned. Neighbors who briefly spoke with CNN said they saw Soliman's children playing near his house but were not familiar with the family. One neighbor said she had no direct interactions with Soliman but described his wife as friendly. As he began plotting an attack, Soliman told authorities, he researched how to make Molotov cocktails on YouTube. He also learned online about the group that eventually became his target – a weekly demonstration in Boulder urging Hamas to return the remaining hostages from Gaza. Soliman said he took a concealed-carry class and learned to shoot a gun but as a non-citizen was blocked from purchasing a gun, so he turned to Molotov cocktails, according to a state affidavit. Soliman told authorities that he purchased ingredients for the cocktails – including 'glass wine carafe bottles or Ball jars,' according to the federal complaint – constructed them and purchased gas at a gas station on the way to Boulder. He also filled up a backpack weed sprayer with gasoline. Before leaving for the attack, Soliman said, he left an iPhone hidden in a desk drawer at home with messages for his family as well as a journal. As the group marched with signs on Sunday, Soliman waited nearby with a utility vest over his shirt; some witnesses thought he looked like a gardener, multiple law enforcement sources said. The state affidavit notes that he bought flowers from Home Depot. According to authorities, he attacked and severely burned multiple marchers. Soliman was captured on video by bystanders standing shirtless and yelling phrases including 'Palestine is Free!' and 'end Zionists!' before police arrived and arrested him. Police found a nearby plastic container holding at least 14 unlit Molotov cocktails, the federal complaint said. After his arrest, Soliman's wife brought an iPhone 14 she said belonged to him to the Colorado Springs police office, the affidavit said. Local and federal authorities said at a press conference Monday that Soliman was not previously on their radar. Soliman does not appear to have a prior criminal record in Colorado, according to a search of state records. The sheriff of El Paso County, Colorado, said that aside from some traffic stops, his office had received three calls from an address linked to Soliman since late 2022, which the sheriff described as 'non-criminal' calls involving a 'juvenile contact' and two 911 hang-up calls. Soliman also interacted with Colorado Springs police in connection with two minor traffic infractions in 2023, a department spokesperson said. Throughout his interview with law enforcement, Soliman said he 'hated the Zionist group and did this because he hated this group and needed to stop them from taking over 'our land,' which he explained to be Palestine.' The complaint states Soliman was charged with a 'hate crime involving actual or perceived race, religion, or national origin.' Jewish community leaders have called for action following rising antisemitic violence. Two Israeli Embassy staff members were killed last month by a gunman who authorities said later yelled 'Free Palestine!' The Islamic Center of Boulder condemned the 'targeted violence' of Sunday's attack. Blake Ellis, Em Steck, Robert Kuznia, Holmes Lybrand, and Audrey Ash contributed to this story.
UPI
37 minutes ago
- UPI
Man charged with federal hate crime, attempted murder in Colorado
June 2 (UPI) -- The 45-year-old man accused of using a flamethrower and Molotov cocktails to burn people demonstrating in support of Israeli hostages in Boulder, Colo., was charged with a federal hate crime and is facing 16 state counts of attempted murder on Monday. Mohamed Sabry Soliman, of Colorado Springs, was booked into the Boulder County jail on Sunday night after the attack near the county courthouse. Soliman appeared in county court Monday, during which bond was set at $10 million, and is due back Thursday when charges will be formally filed. He is facing 16 counts of attempted murder in the first degree, eight counts of first-degree assault and 18 counts of possession of an incendiary device. This could add up to at least 384 years of prison time on conviction. In federal court, he is being charged with commission of a hate crime, acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado J. Bishop Grewell said during a news conference. Soliman would face the maximum sentence of life in prison. Soliman, an Egyptian national, entered Canada in August 2022 on a B2 visa that expired in February 2023 and his asylum claim was pending, said Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. "The Colorado Terrorist attack suspect, Mohamed Soliman, is illegally in our country," she said in a post on X. "He filed for asylum in September 2022. Victims Authorities increased the number of those hurt to 12 from eight on Monday. Four women and four men hospitalized range from 52 to 88. Two people were airlifted to a hospital in Aurora near Denver, an FBI official said. Boulder is 30 miles north of Denver. The other victims have been released from Boulder hospitals. Those injured included an 88-year-old woman, who is a Holocaust refugee from Europe. Rabbi Israel Wilhem, the Chabad director at the University of Colorado in Boulder, told CBS Colorado she is "very loving person." "Holocaust survivors should not spend the final chapter of their lives experiencing or witnessing this hatred again," Leo Terrell, the Justice Department official in charge of the antisemitism task force," posted on X. "We must fight this terror together." Boulder Police Chief Stephen Redfearn said the newly identified victims suffered minor injuries and learned about them when they came forward to be interviewed. Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser, whose mother was born in a concentration camp and his grandparents survived the Holocaust, said the attack was "very cruel" and has "every single hallmark of being a hate crime." "This was a peaceful march done every single week by the Jewish community, calling out the injustices of the hostages, and they were attacked because of who they are," he said on MSNBC. "It is heart-wrenching for all of us in Colorado." FBI Director Kash Patel has called the incident "a targeted terror attack." What happened Mark Michalek, the FBI special agent in charge, said witnesses reported hearing the suspect yell "Free Palestine" during the attack. "It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism," he said. The suspect told investigators he "wanted to kill all Zionist people" and "he would do it again," according to an affidavit filed Monday. Soliman told investigators the attack was planned for a year, according to a federal criminal complaint, and he arrived at the gathering about five minutes before it started. He said he looked up videos on how to make Molotov cocktails on YouTube and purchased the items needed to make them, the complaint stated. A black plastic container with 14 unlit Molotov cocktails was found near where he was arrested. It include "glass wine carafe bottles or Ball jars containing clear liquid and red rags hanging out of the bottles," the affidavit said. Soliman "mentioned several times he wanted to be dead" in interviews with law enforcement, the warrant read. Soliman was not on the authorities' radar before the attack. Boulder's Redfearn said his officers didn't have previous "contacts" with him. One witness told NBC News he was dressed like a groundskeeper. "When I walked by the gentleman, I didn't know who he was, but thought he was out of place and odd," Lisa Turnquist, 66, said. "It wasn't 10 seconds later, I felt fluid on my leg and another lady had been burned." Turnquist, who was not injured, said she was with about 20 other members of Boulder Run for Their Lives when they were attacked. On Monday, Turnquist, who is Jewish and lives in Louisville, placed flowers at a makeshift memorial. Reaction The pro-Israel advocacy group the Anti-Defamation League said the demonstrators attacked in a statement were participants of the weekly Run for Their Lives event, which sees Jewish community members run and walk in solidarity with Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity. "Today, America bore witness to yet another heinous act of anti-Semitism designed to terrorize a peaceful community," Colorado Gov. Josh Shapiro said in a statement Sunday. "This type of hate-filled violence has no place in our civilized society and must be universally condemned." The attack, which was near Pearl St. Mall in downtown Boulder, occurred just before 1:30 p.m. MDT, authorities said. Police found victims suffering from burns. The ADL on Sunday said, "We're witnessing a global campaign of intimidation and terror deliberately directed against the Jewish people." According to the ADL, there have been nine plots or attacks allegedly targeting Jews or Jewish institutions in the United States in the past 11 months, a sharp increase compared with seven January 2020 to June of last year. Trump wrote on Truth Social that Sunday's attack "will not be tolerated." "He came in through Biden's ridiculous Open Border Policy, which has hurt our Country so badly. He must go out under 'TRUMP' Policy," the president said. "Acts of Terrorism will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law," Trump wrote. "This is yet another example of why we must keep our Borders SECURE, and deport Illegal, Anti-American Radicals from our Homeland. My heart goes out to the victims of this terrible tragedy, and the Great People of Boulder, Colorado!" Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X: "There is NO room in the United States for the rest of the world's terrorist sympathizers. Anyone who thinks they can come to America and hide behind the First Amendment to advocate for antisemitic violence and terrorism - think again. You are not welcome here. We will find you, deport you, and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. Our prayers are with the victims, families, and people of Boulder, Colorado. This evil has to STOP now." Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on X: "This attack was aimed against peaceful people who wished to express their solidarity with the hostages held by Hamas, simply because they were Jews. "I trust the American authorities will prosecute the cold-blooded perpetrator to the fullest extent of the law and will do everything possible to prevent future attacks against innocent civilians. "The antisemitic attacks around the world are a direct result of blood libels against the Jewish state and people, and this must be stopped."
