LGBTQ Jews navigate cheers and heckles at NYC Pride

At New York City's Pride March on Sunday, Dillon Perez, who carried a large rainbow flag adorned with a Star of David, experienced a spectrum of reactions, from cheers to heckles, related to his Jewish identity. Marching earlier with the group "Jew York Pride," Perez was met with applause and supportive shouts of "Jewish pride."

“

There's a sensitivity over this word, a Zionist. The way that it sparked something in the crowd was definitely different between the two, you know, that's just a fact.

However, hours later, after joining a second Jewish contingent organized by the liberal pro-Israel group "Zioness," Perez encountered booing and chants of "Free Palestine; f, k Israel." He noted the stark difference in crowd reactions, stating, "There's a sensitivity over this word, a Zionist... The way that it sparked something in the crowd was definitely different between the two, you know, that's just a fact."

Both groups aimed to celebrate the intersection of LGBTQ+ and Jewish identities, waving Pride flags featuring the Star of David. Yet, their experiences reflected the complicated reality many LGBTQ+ Jews report facing at Pride events, especially after October 7, and within the broader LGBTQ+ community. Sheri Krell, who marched with Zioness, acknowledged the verbal harassment but emphasized the importance of visibility. "Yes, there was verbal harassment, but on the other hand, I think it was important to still be there and still take up space and to still represent queer Jews in the Pride parade," Krell said. "Because as much hate as we received, we also received a lot of positivity."

“

Yes, there was verbal harassment, but on the other hand, I think it was important to still be there and still take up space and to still represent queer Jews in the Pride parade. Because as much hate as we received, we also received a lot of positivity.

Alex Kaufman, an organizer with Zioness, described the current climate in queer communities as reaching a "boiling point," with spaces becoming "largely inhospitable to Jews, often who are Zionist or who maintain some semblance of ties to Israel." Kaufman stated the group's goal was to provide a safe space for queer Jewish people to celebrate Pride without reservation.

“

The reason why we came together today was to offer Jewish queer people a safe space to celebrate Pride, where they could bring their full identities in safely and be who they are without any reservation.

In contrast, the "Jew York Pride" group experienced a significantly different reception. Marcher Rivka Schafer, who had anticipated antisemitic heckling based on past experiences, found that the boos never materialized. Instead, she and dozens of other LGBTQ+ Jews were met with cheers as they distributed Pride flags featuring the Star of David. "Things definitely have cooled down a lot in the past few years," Schafer observed.

“

Things definitely have cooled down a lot in the past few years.