“We’ve seen people grabbing Israeli flags and Jews being attacked in major cities,” he said. Though Bryan Bridges-Limon, 48, a marketing strategist in New York, has pushed back against anti-Israel rhetoric from LGBTQ groups in the past and proudly held his rainbow Magen David flag aloft in previous New York pride events, he was reluctant to do so this year. Many said they felt too unsafe to be outwardly Zionist at at this year’s pride events. In the wake of Israel’s recent conflict with Hamas, and a spike in antisemitism, LGBTQ Jews say the pressure to renounce Zionism has only intensified. Some LGBTQ and left-leaning activists have long viewed Zionism as incompatible with a progressive mission. “When I pointed out that excluding Jews from a pride event was antisemtic, they said, ‘we only work with Jewish groups that denounce Israel.’” Jews are wrong about Palestine and have no place in our event,’” Simpson said, paraphrasing the conversation. “I was told ‘because you’re a Jew, you support Israel, that’s your job. But when she suggested including groups like a Wider Bridge, a non-profit that connects American and Israeli LGBTQ communities, Simpson was booted. Ahead of Pride Month this year, New Jersey-based trans activist Hannah Simpson reached out to the head of a trans organization to help plan an event.
