Left-wing activists use the “Queers for Palestine” movement to promote an anti-Israel agenda.

Last Monday, a challenge was issued by the New Tolerance Campaign: The campaign will award a million dollars to “Queers for Palestine” or any LGBTQ advocacy group in the United States that hosts a gay pride parade in the West Bank or Gaza.

A week later, there have been no takers.

The campaign was created with the intention of highlighting the human rights disparity between Israel and the Palestinian territories, as well as exposing the hypocrisy of “Queers for Palestine” and other well-funded LGBTQ organizations that claim to fight for the rights of sexual minorities globally.

Since the terrorist attack on Israel on Oct. 7, various leftist factions have come together in support of the Hamas regime in Gaza.

The essence of “Queers for Palestine” – a term used by different activists rather than an established organization – does not prioritize “liberation” at all.

For example, activists associated with the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement were inspired to form “Queers for Palestine” after being excluded from Berlin’s gay pride parade in 2019, devising a strategy to challenge the LGBTQ establishment.

Under the guise of “Queers for Palestine,” they marched anyway, aiming to use the gay pride movement as a platform for feminist, anti-racist, and anti-colonial politics.

Their objective was to push a narrative portraying Israel as an oppressive colonizer within the gay pride movement.

The label “Queers for Palestine” is essentially a marketing facade.

Those who adopt this label show no concern for the LGBTQ individuals in Palestine who suffer under an Islamist regime that violates their rights, nor do they acknowledge the contradictions within their agenda.

Instead, these “Queers for Palestine” seek to initiate a woke revolution to dismantle what they view as oppressive Western systems – including Israel, capitalism, the patriarchy, and other establishments.

The silence of the anti-Israel left regarding the treatment of gays in the West Bank and Gaza is telling.

Homosexuality is illegal across the Middle East, including in the Palestinian territories, with same-sex activity being prohibited in Gaza since 1936.

In 2022, a prominent West Bank Imam advocated for the death penalty for homosexuals.

While “Queer” individuals in the West may support Palestine, the reality is that Palestine does not support queer individuals.

It is understandable for the anti-Israel left to harbor animosity towards capitalism and perceived oppression, but what about US nonprofits claiming to champion LGBTQ rights globally?

The Human Rights Campaign is a prominent “pro-LGBTQ” nonprofit, boasting extensive resources.

Following the Oct. 7 attacks, HRC President Kelley J. Robinson made a commitment to creating a safer world for LGBTQ individuals, especially transgender people, who face constant threats of violence.

Despite this pledge, HRC has remained silent on the challenges faced by LGBTQ individuals in the Palestinian territories and has not responded to the New Tolerance Campaign’s $1 million offer.

The campaign’s billboard trucks circled the HRC headquarters in Washington, DC, drawing attention to the issue.

An incident occurred on the campaign launch day where activists confronted the truck driver outside the HRC building, questioning his intentions.

It is perplexing to see human rights advocates oppose the idea of a gay pride parade.

The challenge posed by the New Tolerance Campaign exposes how many advocacy organizations prioritize their short-term interests rather than genuinely promoting virtuous causes.

Despite issuing travel advisories for places like Florida, where prominent pride parades take place, HRC has neglected the plight of gay Palestinians facing “honor killings.”

The $1 million “Queers for Palestine” campaign is not merely a provocation but a call for the LGBTQ establishment to uphold its professed values.

Is anyone willing to accept the challenge?

Christian Watson serves as the mobilization coordinator for the New Tolerance Campaign.