London Trans Pride Bans “Zionists,” Sparking Accusations of Antisemitism

London Trans Pride’s decision to ban “Zionists” from its July 26 march through central London ignited fierce criticism from Jewish LGBTQ+ activists, who labeled the move antisemitic and exclusionary. The group’s promotional materials listed “Zionism” alongside racism, sexism, and xenophobia as unwelcome at the event, prompting a sharp rebuke from the Hineni Project, an organization combating antisemitism in queer spaces. In a letter to organizers, Hineni stated, “Over 90 per cent of Jews identify as Zionist. For the overwhelming majority of LGBTQ+ Jews, Zionism is not an abstract ideology. It is a lived identity tied to survival, self-determination and ancestral belonging.” They added, “To declare that Zionism is unwelcome at Pride is to implicitly declare that LGBTQ+ Jews are unwelcome too.”

Hineni accused London Trans Pride of hypocrisy for condemning Israel, which offers legal protections for LGBTQ+ individuals, while ignoring the persecution of gay and transgender people in Palestinian territories, where homosexuality can lead to imprisonment or execution under Hamas’s rule. “Since Oct 7, queer Jewish people across the UK have faced exclusion, isolation, and abuse from the very spaces we helped to build,” Hineni declared, citing Jewish contributions to queer liberation through figures like Harvey Milk and Larry Kramer. The group noted, “Queer Jews have been central to the fight for liberation – from ACT UP to the founders of Pride itself. And yet now we are treated with suspicion, silenced, or forced to renounce a core part of our identity just to participate.”

After backlash, London Trans Pride removed the Instagram post and claimed, “Jewish people are, of course, welcome at LT+P,” while reaffirming “unequivocal” support for Palestine and alleging “genocide” by Israel in Gaza. The march, expected to draw 60,000 from BBC Broadcasting House to Wellington Arch, follows Hineni’s alternative Jewish Pride event in Soho, held after Pride in London rejected antisemitism training. Social media on X erupted, with one user stating, “Supporting Hamas, who’d kill trans and gay people, while banning Jews? Disgusting hypocrisy.” The controversy highlights a growing rift, with 1,350% more antisemitic incidents in the UK since October 2023, per police data.