Queers V. Jews

How has it come to this--Queers and Jews squaring off in public? At stake: funding for the Pride Parade. The Jews want funding cut until and unless all traces of the "Israeli Apartheid" calumny are removed from the spectacle. The Queers claim that the ability to make the Big Lie a part of the Pride Parade is a matter of "free speech." And then there's the lefty Ceej, which, right on schedj issued a statement supporting International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. As if the Queers could give a crap. The day before, they rallied at City Hall in support of Pride funding, "Israeli apartheid" or no "Israeli apartheid." And next week, the Jews will argue that if the "apartheid " is in any way in, funding should be out.

What a fine mess this is: Queers and Jews going mano a mano over the only hatred the left permits--Zionhass.

Here's how local gay rag Xtra describes the feuding:

The rally [on the 16th] was a show of unity after a rocky two-year saga filled with censorship and scandal for PT [Pride Toronto]. The organization twice tried to force Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QuAIA) out of the parade. Ultimately, organizers backed down in the face of sustained backlash from free-speech advocates. Then, a motion from Mammoliti last year set out to claw back city money from the festival for not kicking QUAIA out of the 2010 Pride parade.

Councillors were set to debate the issue again on April 20, but because it was Passover, Ford moved the item to May 24 to allow conservative Jewish groups time to mobilize.

Mammoliti now wants PT to provide “a letter that guarantees” QuAIA will not participate in any Pride events, not just the parade. He plans to bring the motion forward at executive committee.

Since QuAIA has already bowed out of marching in the parade, and the city manager’s report determined the phrase "Israeli apartheid" does not violate the city’s anti-discrimination policy, PT co-chair Francisco Alvarez says no guarantee is needed. He also warns that some councillors will ignore the report and barrel ahead with an attempt to remove funding. Ford and Mammoliti still claim that "Israeli apartheid" is hate speech.

Council is trying to withhold about $123,807, plus roughly $300,000 in-kind services like policing and cleanup. If PT is on the hook to pay, Alvarez says the cost could bankrupt the organization and would likely mean the end of World Pride 2014.

Surely not. Surely there are plenty of affluent non-heteros who could pony up the bucks to support those things that are near and dear to them.

If Jews can have Israel Bonds to help keep the Jewish state afloat, why the heck can't PT have Pride Bonds to keep their parade (and floats) afloat?