San Francisco Pride denies Israel float, but okays Palestinian groups

Jewish organizations expressed outrage after the San Francisco Pride parade on Wednesday denied there would be an Israeli float at the event but welcomed pro-Palestinian groups to participate.

“There is no Israeli float in the SF Pride Parade. SF Pride values the contributions of Jewish queer individuals in advocating for peace and acknowledge their enduring efforts. SF Pride is careful not to conflate Jewish groups and Jewish people living in America with the state of Israel,” the pride parade organizers said in a statement addressing what it said was misinformation about its policies. “‍We have welcomed and continue to welcome pro-Palestinian groups to the SF Pride Parade. If more are interested, they can join the Resistance Contingent (with the SF Pride Board), or if such a group wants to have its own contingent, we invite them to request a fee waiver.”

Are LGBTQ+ Israelis welcome at Pride?

The Bay Area Jewish Community Relations Council called on SF Pride to clarify that “everyone, including LGBTQ+ Israelis, are welcome at Pride.”

“We are disheartened by this poorly worded statement from San Francisco Pride,” said JCRC Bay Area. “No one should be singled out because of their ethnic identity.”

NGO Stop Antisemitism called on supporters to contact organizers about their “discriminatory practices.”