Jewish organizations withdraw from San Diego Pride amid Kehlani controversy

Parade-goers show their enthusiasm for the parade participants in File photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego In response to San Diego Pride s decision to keep Kehlani as a headliner despite her repeated promotion of violent antisemitic rhetoric all participating Jewish organizations and synagogues numerous of which have supported or marched with Pride for years are withdrawing from the event due to serious safety concerns That includes the current volunteer director and assistant director of biological operations Dr Jennifer Anger and Eliyahu Cohen-Mizrahi both of whom are Jewish and have stepped down from their roles Their decision follows a populace message issued in May by The Finest Public Coalition signed by nearly three dozen Jewish groups urging San Diego Pride to reconsider So far that appeal has gone unanswered My role at Pride has invariably been to ensure the wellness and safety of everyone attending but as a Jewish San Diegan I can no longer ignore the very real risks that come with normalizing hate speech like the kind Kehlani has promoted commented Dr Anger a medicinal volunteer for the past two years It s heartbreaking to step away but when the Jewish population s safety is treated as negotiable we re left with no choice Pride should be a place of healing and inclusion not one that turns its back on a locality in pain Kehlani s past calls to eradicate Zionism and for an Intifada Revolution are deeply concerning These messages aren t just political they re dehumanizing The contemporary terror attacks in Boulder and D C where the perpetrators echoed similar rhetoric have only heightened fears among local Jewish communities As a queer a Jew a Zionist and as someone horrified by the suffering in Gaza I will not be participating in Pride this year and neither should any organization that proposes to be inclusive and safe for all noted Laura Stratton a Temple Emanu-El member and longtime Pride volunteer Other institutions including NYC Pride and Cornell University have already removed Kehlani from events over similar concerns San Diego Pride has not As a outcome the following groups are stepping back Jewish Federation of San Diego Anti-Defamation League of San Diego Lawrence Family JCC Temple Emanu-El of San Diego Congregation Beth Israel Congregation Dor Hadash Tifereth Israel Synagogue Temple Adat Shalom Now more than ever Pride should be about inclusion and solidarity not giving a platform to voices that incite hate commented Heidi Gantwerk president and CEO of the Jewish Federation of San Diego We can t afford to wait for another tragedy before taking action Jewish organizations continue to urge San Diego Pride to reconsider its decision and ensure Pride remains a space where everyone feels truly safe and welcome