The Palestinian community is one of the few in the Middle East that has witnessed an explicit formation of a queer discourse in the public sphere. Entrenched in the struggle against the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the struggle of Palestinian queers is not only a struggle against social injustice in Palestine, but against Israel’s colonization, occupation and apartheid. This system has oppressed Palestinians for the past 63 years. Violations of human rights and international law, suppression of basic rights and civil liberties, and discrimination are deeply rooted in Israel’s policies towards Palestinians, straight and gay alike.

The Palestinian queer community believes that in addressing the pressing needs of their fledgling communities, dynamic and visible community groups should lead the way in stimulating the sought for social change. In 2010, a community of Palestinian queer activists who live in the occupied Palestinian territories and inside Israel came together to promote and stand for the Palestinian civil society call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions against Israel, which was launched in July 2005. Palestinian Queers for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (PQBDS) argue that the struggle for sexual and gender diversity is interconnected with the Palestinian struggle for freedom and self-determination. (http://pqbds.wordpress.com/)

The lecture on Pinkwashing, Homonationalism and Gay Tourism in Palestine/Israel will present the queer struggle in Palestine through the broader context of history. It proposes an understanding of the current discourse of homonationalism in Israel from the perspective of marginalized Palestinian queer. The lecture concludes with a discussion on the politics of representation of the Palestinian queer community from an Israeli perspective versus a Palestinian one.

Haneen Maikey is the director of alQaws for Sexual & Gender Diversity in Palestinian Society, which is a group of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, questioning and queer (LGBTQ) Palestinian activists who work collaboratively to break down gendered and heteronormative barriers (http://www.alqaws.org/q/). Maikey is also a cofounder of the political movement of the Palestinian Queers for BDS.