This offer serves as a challenge and a wake-up call to those who align themselves with the Palestinian cause while possibly overlooking the harsh realities LGBTQ+ individuals face in Palestinian territories.
By Dr. Tim Orr
I woke up this morning and read an article on Fox News titled, "Queers for Palestine? Group offers $1 million for LGBTQ advocacy org to host Pride parade in Gaza, West Bank". It detailed a bold move by the New Tolerance Campaign (NTC), which offered a $1 million donation to "Queers for Palestine" or any U.S. LGBTQ advocacy organization willing to host a gay pride parade in Gaza or the West Bank. This offer serves as a challenge and a wake-up call to those who align themselves with the Palestinian cause while possibly overlooking the harsh realities LGBTQ+ individuals face in Palestinian territories.
NTC President Gregory T. Angelo, who is gay and the former president of Log Cabin Republicans, described the campaign as a "wake-up call" for those involved in movements like "Queers for Palestine" and "Gays for Gaza." He stated, "I don't want people to shrug off this campaign as some publicity stunt or something that is supposed to be comical. It is a legitimate offer". He emphasized that this campaign "emerged to call out these purported advocates of LGBT equality and put our money where their mouths are."
Angelo suggested that this initiative offers a real opportunity for these groups to either highlight the difficult reality for LGBTQ+ individuals in Palestinian territories or potentially create a breakthrough moment for pluralism and peace in the Middle East. He continued, "I think that this is a real opportunity for these groups to legitimately step up and host an event that would either highlight the fact that the Palestinian territories are not indeed a good place for LGBTQ individuals to be living, or it could be a breakthrough moment for pluralism and peace in the Middle East".
The NTC is backing this initiative by securing commitments for the $1 million prize, and they plan to publicize the offer through mobile billboards in various locations, including Columbia University in New York City, the Human Rights Campaign headquarters in Washington, D.C., and UCLA in Los Angeles. Angelo admitted, "Obviously, the $1 million prize is flashy. It was designed to get attention and turn heads. But this project's greater drive is equality and broad human rights".
The campaign will also allow Americans to send messages directly to the leadership of organizations like the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, the LGBTQ Task Force, and Advocates for Trans Equality, urging them to fight for LGBTQ rights in Palestinian territories and other Arab countries. Angelo criticizes the perspective that "on the left in the United States, all oppression is the same oppression," arguing that this approach inappropriately lumps together diverse forms of discrimination: "I think the left, quite to their disservice, lumps everything from racial discrimination to sexual orientation discrimination to gender discrimination to Islamophobia, all under the same umbrella. That’s certainly not the case".
Angelo pointed out the disparity in LGBTQ+ rights between the United States and Palestinian territories, stating, "Here in the United States, we have protection from job discrimination for gay and trans individuals that came through a Supreme Court ruling. We have same-sex marriage is the law of the land in all 50 states, and just more generally, aside from legislation, we have a country that welcomes people of all faiths and family types." In contrast, he noted that in Palestinian territories, "same-sex marriage isn't something that's even a possibility or discussed. There are no protections in terms of employment for sexual orientation or gender".
He recounted his personal experience during a visit to the West Bank in 2013, where he witnessed firsthand the stark differences in human rights between Israel and the Palestinian territories. "I got to see with my own eyes the disparity in, not just gay rights, but human rights that are evident when you cross over between Israel and into the Palestinian territories," he said.
Hamas espouses an Islamicist ideology that advocates for the strict implementation of Sharia law as a means of establishing a society that aligns with their interpretation of Islamic teachings. For Hamas, the enforcement of Sharia is seen as a divine mandate to create a social order based on their understanding of what constitutes true Islamic life. This involves a firm rejection of behaviors they deem morally deviant, such as homosexuality, and a strong opposition to Western cultural influences, including secularism and liberal attitudes towards gender and sexuality.
Within this Islamicist framework, Hamas’s "Back to Sharia" movement seeks to return to what they consider the authentic Islamic way of life, distancing themselves from Western encroachments. They hold that strict adherence to Sharia will lead to success in both this life and the afterlife, as promised by Allah. This belief is central to their ideology, which posits that faithfulness to divine law will bring prosperity and divine favor, while those who reject these principles will face judgment.
Hamas’s commitment to this Islamicist ideology reflects its broader goal of countering Western values and establishing a society that it believes embodies true Islamic principles. Its application of Sharia is intended to correct what it views as moral and cultural deviations caused by Western influences and to create a state that represents its vision of Islamic righteousness.
Hamas's animosity toward the West is deeply theological. The group views Western societies as embodiments of moral and spiritual decay, attributing this to secularism, materialism, and the acceptance of behaviors they consider sinful, such as homosexuality. For Hamas, the West represents everything that stands in opposition to the Islamic way of life prescribed by Sharia.
Hamas perceives Western secularism as a direct challenge to the sovereignty of God, leading to moral relativism and the normalization of practices like same-sex relationships. They believe that this moral decay has led to the erosion of society's spiritual and moral fabric. The West's embrace of these practices is seen as not just a cultural difference but a profound threat to the values Hamas seeks to enforce.
Moreover, Hamas's disdain extends to the political and economic systems of the West. They see Western power and success as built on exploitation, imperialism, and a morally bankrupt code that prioritizes material wealth over spiritual values. This perception reinforces their belief that Western dominance is not legitimate but instead a result of moral corruption and exploitation. Hence, their animosity is rooted in the idea that the success and influence of Western societies come from inherently flawed and nefarious means, further justifying their theological and political rejection of Western ideologies.
Hamas's commitment to Sharia law is central to their ideology, reflecting their belief that Islamic law is the divine solution to what they perceive as Western moral decay. They interpret Sharia as a rigid, divinely ordained system that governs all aspects of life, including legal and social norms. According to their beliefs, those faithful to Allah will receive success in this life and the next, while those who reject Allah will face judgment. This theological framework is used to counteract Western secular values, which they see as leading society away from righteousness and creating cognitive dissonance due to the perceived success of Western societies despite their moral shortcomings.
Politically, Hamas uses Sharia as a means to consolidate power and frame their struggle as a defense of Islamic values against Western corruption. This stance helps them differentiate themselves from rival Palestinian factions and legitimize their actions. By enforcing Sharia, Hamas aims to reshape public behavior and societal norms according to their vision, including criminalizing behaviors they consider deviant and promoting a conservative interpretation of Islamic morality through legal and social policies.
The implementation of Sharia by Hamas significantly impacts governance in Gaza, influencing legal proceedings, social policies, and public life. It also affects their international standing, as their strict adherence to Sharia leads to criticism from human rights organizations and strains relations with both Western nations and other Islamic countries. This approach underscores their broader goal of creating an Islamic state based on their interpretation of Sharia, contrasting sharply with secular and liberal values while grappling with the cognitive dissonance created by the perceived success of Western societies.
The existence of groups like "Queers for Palestine" reveals a complex disconnect between the progressive ideals of LGBTQ+ advocacy and the ideological foundations of Hamas. Progressive movements, including LGBTQ+ rights advocates, are often driven by the pursuit of equity, social justice, and the fight against systemic oppression. They tend to view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through a lens of power dynamics, identifying Israel as the oppressor and Palestinians as the oppressed. In this context, support for Palestinian liberation is framed as part of a broader struggle against imperialism and colonialism.
It is important to understand that progressive groups might support Palestinian liberation despite these clear ideological conflicts. Many progressives align themselves with the Palestinian cause based on anti-imperialist and anti-colonialist principles, perceiving Israel as a symbol of Western oppression. In this framework, they often prioritize anti-colonial struggles over LGBTQ+ rights, seeing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict as primarily a struggle for national self-determination and human rights. Understanding this perspective could provide more insight into how these groups navigate the tension between supporting Palestinian rights and advocating for LGBTQ+ equality.
The focus solely on Hamas’s rule in Gaza often overlooks the situation in the West Bank, which is governed by the Palestinian Authority (PA). While the PA shares conservative views on LGBTQ+ rights and maintains a stance that is hostile to openly queer individuals, it operates under a different legal and political framework compared to Hamas. The PA is more secular in its governance structure, often influenced by a blend of Palestinian nationalism and elements of Islamic tradition, but without the strict implementation of Sharia that characterizes Hamas rule in Gaza.
In the West Bank, the PA has enacted laws and policies that, while still restrictive by Western standards, differ significantly from those under Hamas in Gaza. For instance, while homosexuality is socially taboo and LGBTQ+ individuals may face discrimination and harassment, the legal environment under the PA does not enforce the same level of punitive measures seen in Gaza. The PA's approach is more pragmatic and influenced by its political position, international relations, and the need to maintain regional stability.
Conflating the situations in Gaza and the West Bank can obscure these nuances and lead to a simplified understanding of Palestinian governance. The PA’s complex relationship with both secular and religious elements within Palestinian society results in a different set of challenges for LGBTQ+ individuals. The PA operates in a political landscape where it must balance conservative societal norms, pressures from various Palestinian factions, and the need to project a moderate image to the international community.
This distinction is crucial because it highlights the varied challenges LGBTQ+ individuals face in different Palestinian territories. While both Hamas and the PA are conservative and hostile toward LGBTQ+ rights, their governance styles and legal frameworks differ. Recognizing these differences is important for a nuanced understanding of the political landscape in the Palestinian territories and the specific issues that LGBTQ+ individuals face under each governing authority.
The alliance between progressive groups like "Queers for Palestine" and Islamist movements is fraught with contradictions. While they unite over a shared opposition to Israel and Western imperialism, their reasons and underlying values differ significantly. Hamas's ideological foundation is rooted in a theological worldview that fundamentally opposes the existence of LGBTQ+ identities. Meanwhile, the Palestinian Authority, though also conservative, operates under a different framework, further complicating the narrative.
Understanding the complexities involved in these alliances requires a nuanced approach. It involves recognizing the ideological and political differences between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority and understanding why progressive groups may prioritize anti-colonial struggles over LGBTQ+ rights in certain contexts. Only by acknowledging these layers can we foster a more meaningful conversation about the intersection of LGBTQ+ rights, anti-imperialism, and the diverse political landscapes within the Palestinian territories.
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The ideas in this article are mine, but AI assisted in writing it.
Tim Orr is an Evangelical minister, conference speaker, and interfaith consultant with over 30 years of experience in cross-cultural ministry. He holds six degrees, including a master’s in Islamic studies from the Islamic College in London. Tim taught Religious Studies for 15 years at Indiana University Columbus and is now a Congregations and Polarization Project research associate at the Center for the Study of Religion and American Culture at Indiana University Indianapolis. He has spoken at universities, including Oxford, and mosques throughout the U.K. His research focuses on American Evangelicalism, Islamic antisemitism, and Islamic feminism, and he has published widely, including three books.
