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Jewish LGBTQ+ groups excluded from Rome Pride over Gaza stance
🇦🇹 Austria /Culture & Society

Jewish LGBTQ+ groups excluded from Rome Pride over Gaza stance

From Die Presse · () German

Translated from German, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources New plan
  • Organizers of Rome's Pride parade excluded Jewish LGBTQ+ groups Keshet Italia and Keshet Europe.
  • The exclusion stems from the groups' refusal to explicitly condemn the "current genocide in Gaza."
  • Italian politicians and activists criticize the decision, calling it an "ideological tribunal" and discriminatory.

Rome's upcoming Pride parade faces controversy as organizers have excluded Jewish LGBTQ+ groups Keshet Italia and Keshet Europe. The decision, announced by Roma Pride organizers, is based on the groups' refusal to issue a statement explicitly condemning what they term the "current genocide in Gaza."

dangerous double standard

— Keshet ItaliaKeshet Italia's response to being excluded from the Rome Pride parade.

Roma Pride organizers released a political manifesto that includes a condemnation of the "genocide in Gaza perpetrated by the state of Israel." They stated that participating organizations with floats must fully endorse all demands within this manifesto. The Israeli government has consistently rejected accusations of genocide, which have arisen due to its military actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks.

The Pride is becoming an ideological tribunal that drives out minorities, and has lost its soul.

— Keshet ItaliaKeshet Italia's statement on the organizers' demands and the nature of the Pride parade.

Keshet Italia criticized the organizers' stance, labeling it a "dangerous double standard." The group argued that Italian Jews are being asked to distance themselves from a foreign government for which they are not responsible. They stated that their exclusion occurred because they "failed their political test," asserting that no other association is subjected to such ongoing political scrutiny to justify their participation. Keshet Italia believes the Pride event is becoming an "ideological tribunal" that alienates minorities and has lost its original spirit.

worrying and painful for many people

— Benedetto Della VedovaItalian politician Benedetto Della Vedova's reaction to the exclusion of Jewish LGBTQ+ groups.

Italian politicians have also voiced strong criticism. Benedetto Della Vedova, a liberal member of parliament, described the exclusion on X as "worrying and painful." He argued that requiring an unconditional endorsement of the organizers' political manifesto should not be a criterion for participation, calling it an "instrument of political discrimination." Pina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament from the Democratic Party, echoed these sentiments on X, questioning the movement's shift towards judging which minorities are morally acceptable. She warned that upholding the exclusion would set a dangerous precedent.

There is something deeply wrong when a movement born to defend minorities begins to decide which minorities are morally acceptable and which are not.

— Pina PiciernoPina Picierno, Vice-President of the European Parliament, commenting on the Pride parade controversy.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Die Presse in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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