#CancelPinkwashing in Chicago!, January 22

In Chicago, the Israeli group "A Wider Bridge" (AWB) is hosting a pinkwashing event at the 2016 Creating Change Conference, which is U.S.'s "largest annual gathering of activists, organizers and leaders in the LGBTQ movement."

***Join the #CancelPinkwashing Protest!***
WHEN: Friday, January 22, 2016, 8:30-10:30PM
WHERE: Hilton Chicago, 720 S. Michigan Ave. Chicago 60613
RSVP: on FB event page here:[https://www.facebook.com/events/796441430490763/]

This page [https://www.facebook.com/events/170607083302401/] has more about the overall effort to #CancelPinkwashing at Creating Change. You can learn more about the work of AWB and pinkwashing in this post [http://www.deanspade.net/2016/01/15/creating-change-pinkwashing-ice-pinkwashing-israel/] by writer Dean Spade. Excerpt:

"For over a decade, the Israeli government has been engaged [sic] the 'Brand Israel' campaign, aimed to respond to the growing movement against apartheid in Israel by portraying Israel as 'relevant and modern.' An important part of this effort has been to promote Israel as a gay-friendly country, touting the fact that gay people are allowed to serve in its brutal military and promoting Israel as a gay tourism destination. This message relies on Islamophobia and anti-Arab racism as Israel contrasts its supposed 'gay-friendliness' with stereotypes of its homophobic neighbors, particularly portraying Palestinians as homophobic. Queer and trans activists around the world who oppose occupation and apartheid have called this propaganda strategy 'pinkwashing' because it is a direct effort to conceal the extreme violence and harm that Israel inflicts on Palestinians, including queer and trans Palestinians, by promoting Israel as 'gay friendly.'"

Concerns were heard and last weekend, the National LGBTQ Task Force announced that AWB had been uninvited -- a tremendous BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) victory! Within 72 hours, the backlash was sufficiently strong to reverse the Task Force's decision, and the event has been reinstated.

Brown People for Black Power has since cancelled their workshop at Creating Change -- read the powerful announcement here [http://tinyurl.com/htyk9oh]. Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter: Chicago issued this statement [http://blacklivesmatterchicago.tumblr.com/] echoing calls to #CancelPinkwashing. Yesterday, the Chicago chapter of member group U.S. Palestinian Community Network called on members and supporters to send a united message [https://www.facebook.com/USPCN/posts/1121804184521089?fref=nf] to the Task Force and Creating Change to oppose pinkwashing and the normalization of Israeli apartheid. And this action alert [http://tinyurl.com/zkbztlx] from the US Campaign has more ways you can take action.

Chicagoans, please show up tomorrow night to the #CancelPinkwashing Protest! [https://www.facebook.com/events/796441430490763/]

P.S. Please forward this folks you know in the Chicago area!

P.P.S. Don't forget to also follow the general campaign Facebook page [https://www.facebook.com/events/170607083302401/] here for more updates/actions as they unfold!

US Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation | P.O. Box 21539 | Washington, D.C. 20009 | 202-332-0994 | uscampaign@endtheoccupation.org | www.endtheoccupation.org