Trans activist urges: All out for Palestine!

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Oct. 13 – Palestinians in Gaza are facing genocide. Now, today.

Anti-Semitic conspiracy theorists claim that Israel controls the U.S. government. Just the opposite is true. The U.S. funds, arms, and politically shields Israel, which is, in fact, a U.S. military outpost in the Middle East. Israeli policy is nothing but U.S. policy.

What does this mean? It means that those of us who live in the U.S. have the power to stop the impending genocide of Palestinian people in Gaza. We must make it clear to our rulers, the capitalists and politicians who pull the strings in Washington and Wall Street, that they will pay a very high price if Israel’s ethnic cleansing of Gaza goes forward. 

That could mean a lot of different things in the coming days. Right now, TODAY, it means EVERYONE needs to take to the streets and join the International Day of Solidarity with Palestine actions happening all across the country from Oct. 13-15. We must make it impossible to ignore through sheer numbers and visibility.

Trans people in the U.S. are also facing genocide. Right now, it’s confined mostly to the political arena and acts of street violence. But the pieces are being swiftly moved into place for other forms of violence and suppression.

We trans people should be the first and loudest in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are facing immediate genocide by military force. For anyone fearful that some people in that Palestinian community may not be accepting of us, let me tell you what I have learned over many years of activism: People who are facing the unthinkable are glad for solidarity, whoever it comes from. 

A very important side-effect of solidarity is building understanding between marginalized groups. And we have much to learn from the Palestinian people’s determination and unceasing will to resist and survive. 

Trans people and all people of conscience must stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Palestinians today.

The people of Gaza have survived many years living in the world’s largest open-air prison, subject to regular murderous bombings and deprived of the most basic necessities of life. They have resisted heroically, and we owe them, in turn, to do everything we can to stop the racist massacre being prepared by Washington and Tel Aviv.

Melinda Butterfield is an initiator of the National March to Protect Trans Youth & Speakout for Trans Lives held in Orlando, Florida, on Oct. 7, a member of Women in Struggle and co-editor of Struggle-La Lucha.