SUE OF A FLY: Gay Pride!

Sigh, there's just no end of vicious libels against Israel by those who consider themselves to be culturally sensitive. Culturally sensitive to the plight of the Palestinian population with whom Israel stands ready and eager to sign a peace treaty that will result in a two-state solution that should ensure a stable civil environment for both countries. Cultural sensitivity is denied the State of Israel which has historically battled for its right to exist in the Middle East, and which continues to do so to this day.

That gay rights groups in Toronto and Montreal - or certain members thereof - have taken the initiative to bring into the narrative of their rights within society, their presumption of brutalization of Palestinians by Israelis is a real eye-opener. Suppose it needn't be, given that if you're gay, you're also most likely to be quite socially liberal verging on tipping into the left-hand corner of political extremism. And let's face it, to the 'humanities left' there is no better symbol of oppression than Palestinian Arabs.

Be that as it may it is nothing short of amazing that a spokesperson for Q-team, which leads the contingent "against Israeli apartheid" claims "We're bringing a political issue to the table. I don't think that's hijacking (the agenda for gay rights)." This, from one Leila Pourtavas, an Iranian Canadian lesbian and member of the anti-oppression group that has forged warm links with gay rights activists in the Middle East.

Amazing, in that there are no gay rights whatever in the Middle East, apart from the legalization of gay rights in Israel, the very country that is being discriminated against. In many countries of the Middle East, the penalty for lesbian and homosexual activity is rather dramatic; death. Or, on the light side, imprisonment embellished by torture. Do they imagine in their wildest dreams that Fatah and Hamas embrace the very idea of gay rights?

Iran, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Syria consider transgendered, gays and lesbians to be closer to the fungi that grow on vegetation making them unpalatable for human consumption, than citizens deserving of equality under the law. There is no law that protects gay rights anywhere in the Middle East - aside from Israel. In Israel there are large and recognized gay communities.

In Israel there are gay pride parades, and freedom of conscience to celebrate one's other-gendered status.