Pride Toronto’s Board of Directors voted Friday to ban the term “Queers Against Israeli Apartheid” from all Pride-related events, a reasonable reaction to the growing condemnation by both the gay and straight community that the group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid is in fact anti-Semitic and discriminatory, and that the use of the word apartheid is reckless. A spokesperson for the group, Elle Flanders, said that although the group has yet to apply to participate in the 2010 Pride, they are “still in shock,” adding that “we’re reeling; we’re disappoint ... we are not in violation of any anti-discrimination policies. We’re very sensitive to issues around anti-Semitism and in no way do we believe that talking about Israel’s state policy is anti-Semitic ... I think this has been raised to a level of hysteria.” She said that the organization will contest the decision. The City of Toronto had hinted that it was prepared to pull municipal funding for Pride unless the organization invoked city’s anti-discrimination policy and denied an application by QAIA to participate in the parade. No one from Pride Toronto would comment, although a press conference has been scheduled for Tuesday.
In Romania Saturday, an estimated 200 people participated in Gay Pride march through the capital city of Bucharest, despite a rally that was held hours prior to the parade by anti-gay activists condemning homosexuality. Unlike previous years, the Gay Pride march was peaceful. In 2000, Romania, pressured by the international community, decriminalized homosexuality.
The British government Friday said it will begin withdrawing financial funding to Malawi if that government refused to free Tiwonge Chimbalanga and Steven Monjeza. William Hauge, the Foreign Secretary wrote that “we, along with our international partners, will make urgent representations to the Government of Malawi to review its laws to ensure that it meets its commitments to human rights.”
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