Pinkwashing doesn't have to be accepted as just part of a day's work
Pinkwashing (2015) is a documentary directed by Dean Spade. Pinkwashing is the practice of presenting something--particularly a country or a government--as gay-friendly in order to soften or downplay negative aspects of the country or government.
In 2012, the Seattle LGBT Commission decided to host a public meeting to present a delegation of LGBT speakers from Israel. The meeting was to be cosponsored by StandWithUs, which is a lobby group linked to the Israeli government.
A group of LGBT activists were outraged that this event would project a positive message about human rights in Israel. The Israeli government routinely violates the human rights of Palestinians. The event was classic pinkwashing--showing only the benign side of the Israeli government. These activists came to the meeting of the LGBT Commission to argue against the presentation.
They were successful in convincing the Commission to cancel the invitation. However, there was an immense backlash, which unfolds before our eyes in the documentary.
I had never heard of the term pinkwashing, so I immediately learned something in the first minutes of the film. The documentary demonstrates the activists can fight back against pinkwashing, but not without inspiring the wrath of the massive forces arrayed against them.
We saw this film in Rochester's excellent Little Theatre as part of the outstanding Witness Palestine Film Series. It will work just as well on the small screen. Whether it will be available outside the Palestinian or LGBT festival circuits is another matter. If you can find it, see it.
In 2012, the Seattle LGBT Commission decided to host a public meeting to present a delegation of LGBT speakers from Israel. The meeting was to be cosponsored by StandWithUs, which is a lobby group linked to the Israeli government.
A group of LGBT activists were outraged that this event would project a positive message about human rights in Israel. The Israeli government routinely violates the human rights of Palestinians. The event was classic pinkwashing--showing only the benign side of the Israeli government. These activists came to the meeting of the LGBT Commission to argue against the presentation.
They were successful in convincing the Commission to cancel the invitation. However, there was an immense backlash, which unfolds before our eyes in the documentary.
I had never heard of the term pinkwashing, so I immediately learned something in the first minutes of the film. The documentary demonstrates the activists can fight back against pinkwashing, but not without inspiring the wrath of the massive forces arrayed against them.
We saw this film in Rochester's excellent Little Theatre as part of the outstanding Witness Palestine Film Series. It will work just as well on the small screen. Whether it will be available outside the Palestinian or LGBT festival circuits is another matter. If you can find it, see it.
- Red-125
- Oct 2, 2016