The lesbian activist group are calling for an immediate end to the conflict, saying that “none of us are free until all of us are free”
BY DIVA STAFF, IMAGE VIA INSTAGRAM (@THEDYKEPROJECT)
Lesbian activist group The Dyke Project hacked 100 Transport For London advertisement boards on 27 October to share the stories of queer Palestinians. Since then, the group has been involved in several protests advocating for a ceasefire and an end to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Using testimonies from the website Queering The Map, a project which aims to tell the stories of queer Palestinians during this conflict, the posters were put up across the Victoria line and the London Overground.
Testimonies included quotes from queer Palestinians saying “we are here and we are queer”.
Each poster was accompanied by a statement from The Dyke Project which read: “The Queer community stands with our Palestinian siblings. We all deserve freedom, safety, and belonging. We call for an end to the occupation and an end to the British funding and arming of Israel’s military.”
The statement concluded: “None of us are free until all of us are free.”
The Dyke Project has since been involved in a number of protests across London. At the demonstration which took place on 4 November at Oxford Circus, the activists called for “an end to the siege on Gaza, an end to the occupation, and end to the deliberate collective punishment of indigenous people of Palestine, and LAND BACK” in an Instagram caption.
Queer House Party, a London queer collective and party, have also posted online to call for a ceasefire and end to the violence. Taking to Instagram on 12 November, the organisation said: “It is important to acknowledge that queer Palestinians do exist, and they are also directly affected by this genocidal bombardment.”
Both The Dyke Project and Queer House Party have also called out Israel for “pinkwashing” the current conflict. “Our solidarity extends beyond our individual identities,” Queer House Party continued in their Instagram post. “Particularly when our queerness is being exploited to justify violence against the Palestinian people – NOT IN OUR NAME.”
Over 1,400 LGBTQIA individuals have signed an open letter which expresses their solidarity with Palestine and is calling for an immediate ceasefire.
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