"I believe that The Globe and Mail should either update this piece, or publish a follow up which accurately represents the perspectives and grievances of marginalized groups who have cut ties with Fierté Montréal. I also suggest your reports on Gaza and Palestinians are centered within the frameworks of international law and human rights. I would also avoid using arguments that promote double standards and that dehumanize queer Arabs and Palestinians."
August 7, 2025
Dear Globe and Mail editorial team and Mr. Yakabuski,
I am writing on behalf of Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East (CJPME) to express my concern regarding The Globe and Mail’s recent opinion piece titled “Montreal Pride finally stands up to the pro-Palestinian bullies.”
The column engages in deeply inflammatory and dehumanizing rhetoric, smearing queer and Palestinian rights advocates as "radicals," "hypocrites,” and “bullies.” It dismisses legitimate protest against Israel’s 22-month assault on Gaza as extremist, and misrepresents the demands of activist groups, falsely implying that they seek to exclude Jewish participants on the basis of religion. This framing is inaccurate and promotes anti-Palestinian racism and defames allies of the Palestinian solidarity movement as well as human rights advocates.
The column also excludes essential context, which is surprising as it appears your writer is based in Montreal. In case you aren’t aware, over a dozen queer organizations have cut ties with Fierté Montréal, citing a toxic organizational culture marked by racism, gaslighting, and corporate complicity in genocide. These groups include the LGBTQ Arabic organization Helem MTL , West Island CALACS, AlterHéros, and sapphic-led collectives such as Sweet Like Honey, BLUSH, ElleLui, and DISCOÑO. All these groups raised long-standing concerns about the festival’s failure to stand with oppressed communities, particularly its silence on Israel’s genocide in Gaza.
The president of Helem Mtl Samya Lemrini even stated that her organization has faced repeated experiences of racism and dismissal, particularly surrounding the group’s concerns about Fierté’s silence on the war in Gaza during last year’s events.
These controversies also prompted many LGBTQ+ organizations in Montreal to establish Wild Pride. This grassroots-led pride festival, which is currently running, offers an anti-colonial, anti-corporate alternative to Fierté Montréal as part of their effort to build a more inclusive and principled queer movement.
None of this was mentioned in the op-ed. The omission of this essential context also reflects a broader and deeply concerning editorial pattern. Across five recent Globe pieces, four staff columns and one editorial, spanning 3,860 words, your paper made:
- 0 references to international law, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, the Responsibility to Protect, or the ICC/ICJ;
- 1 vague mention of genocide, with no elaboration.
In contrast, The Globe has shown no hesitation invoking such terms when discussing Palestinian actions. This editorial double standard violates core journalistic ethics as outlined by the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), which require fairness, accuracy, and the inclusion of diverse voices.
Lastly, the use of Israel’s record on LGBTQ+ rights to deflect criticism of its actions in Gaza amounts to pinkwashing. The piece disregards the voices of queer Palestinians and their allies, who are calling for intersectional solidarity in the face of occupation, bombardment, and marginalization. It weaponizes LGBTQ+ rights not to protect vulnerable communities, but to obscure state violence. I urge your editorial board and columnists to engage directly with the writings, lived experiences, and literature on queer Arabs and Palestinians. As it stands, your piece uses Israel’s treatment of queer people as an ethical shield for state violence. Framing LGBTQ+ rights in this way not only distorts reality, but also reinforces orientalist tropes and entrenches the marginalization of the very communities you claim to champion. Countless queer Arab and Palestinian voices have documented the realities of Israeli pinkwashing and exposed the false binary between queerness and Arab identity. This recent feature in Xtra is a good start.
I believe that The Globe and Mail should either update this piece, or publish a follow up which accurately represents the perspectives and grievances of marginalized groups who have cut ties with Fierté Montréal. I also suggest your reports on Gaza and Palestinians are centered within the frameworks of international law and human rights. I would also avoid using arguments that promote double standards and that dehumanize queer Arabs and Palestinians.
Anthony Issa