It's All Over--and the Zion-Loathers Have Won

In an effort to sweep the problem of QuAIA Zionhass under the sequined parade carpet resolve issues arising from groups who march in the Pride parade and who view the matter of Israel's essential nature differently, the Pride organizers aren't going to issue an outright ban on parading Zion-loathers. Instead, they've established a "binding" adjudication process that will allow both sides to air--and they hope, to resolve--their grievances.

Doesn't that sound all "nice" and "Canadian-like" to you?

Anti-QuAIA gay activist Martin Gladstone, for one, doesn't think so. Here he is, outlining his objections in the Canadian Jewish News:

Gladstone however, said that while the advisory panel was convened as a result of QuAIA’s presence in the parade, it never specifically dealt with the issue.

That avoidance represents “a complete moral abdication” by the panel, and by Pride, for allowing QuAIA to sour a once-proud gay community event, he said.

 He added that “thousands” of people feel unwelcome and unsafe due to the group’s annual presence.

Gladstone also said he won’t take part in the dispute resolution process.

“I’m not going to put Israel on trial. If I wanted to bring a complaint… we’d have to challenge [QuAIA] and argue a case that Israel is not an apartheid state. And what would happen is they would use [the dispute resolution process] as… a media circus to gain as much attention as possible to further their message that Israel is a pariah, apartheid state.”

Gladstone--the man is aptly named. Far less ballsy, however is the official position of Official Jewry. Always angling to get a "plays well with others" comment on its report card, the O.J.s are keen to give the adjudication process a try:

Len Rudner, Congress’ Ontario regional director, wants to give the new resolution process “a chance to work.”

Asked if CJC will file a complaint about QuAIA with Pride this year, Rudner said it would be more appropriate for Kulanu Toronto, which represents Toronto’s Jewish gay and lesbian community, to make that call.

Justine Apple, Kulanu’s executive director, said her organization is “weighing its options” about whether to file a complaint. “We don’t want to continue to fuel their flame,” she said, adding that Kulanu “commends Pride on the implementation of the dispute resolution process,” which had been sorely lacking.

Rather like Sigmund Freud commending the Gestapo, no?

Sorry to have to break it to everyone, but in the current Pride parade jousting contest (which, at this point is all but moot due to the province ponying up all the cash the parade needs to carry on) the score is Jew-haters: 1; Jews: 0.

Update: My suggestion: Forget the adjudication. Forget the Pride organizers. Since the QuAIA dupes have already politicized the hell out of the sucker, go with that and have some of the sane march behind one or more of the following banners:

• QuAFFS--Queers Against the Final Final Solution;
• QuAUI--Queers Against Useful Idiocy;
• QuAZL--Queers Against Zion-Loathers;
• QuOTSH--Queers Opposed to Sharia