TL;DR
- A Gaza-bound flotilla is rocked by infighting over LGBTQ+ activists onboard.
- Tunisian activist Khaled Boujemaa accused organizers of hiding queer representation.
- Queer Tunisian activist Saif Ayadi slammed claims as “pinkwashing” propaganda.
- Greta Thunberg and other leaders also bailed from the flotilla amid chaos.
Flotilla Erupts Over Queer Activists
The so-called Global Sumud Flotilla, a coalition of activists sailing toward Gaza to challenge Israel’s naval blockade, is springing leaks—not from Israeli forces but from within its own ranks. The latest crack? A meltdown over LGBTQ+ activists daring to fly their rainbow sails alongside Palestinian solidarity banners.
In Tunisia, activist Khaled Boujemaa went public with fury, accusing organizers of sneaking queer visibility into the mission. In a now-vanished video shot at the Bizerte port, Boujemaa blasted Wael Nawar, a steering committee member, for “concealing” the presence of Tunisian LGBTQ+ activists. He threatened to walk if the “issue” wasn’t addressed. Days later, he doubled down on Facebook, saying, “The reasons for withdrawal are bitter.”
Boujemaa never fully spelled out his beef, and to save face, he muttered about “aging boats” and “logistical failures.” But the message was clear: some activists can stomach shaky vessels, but rainbow flags? That’s where they draw the line.
Queer Activists Clap Back
Enter Saif Ayadi, a Tunisian queer communist activist with zero patience for the charade. He called out the smear campaign as nothing more than “Zionist propaganda” designed to fracture solidarity. “The Zionist lobby uses propaganda around our queer identities to attack the flotilla, break its unity, and discredit it,” Ayadi fired back on Instagram.
His words hit a nerve. Because while flotilla organizers love to market themselves as symbols of resistance, queer activists are finding their presence weaponized against them—by both homophobes inside the movement and enemies outside of it. That dual pressure exposes just how fragile the so-called “unity” really is.
Meltdowns and Departures
And as if queer visibility wasn’t enough drama, other big names bailed. Climate icon Greta Thunberg was spotted dragging her suitcase off the flagship Family, swapping to a lesser vessel. Reports say she got caught in the crossfire over the committee’s obsession with its own mess instead of Gaza. Meanwhile, flotilla spokesperson Yusuf Omar peaced out earlier this month, claiming he wanted focus back on “the genocide in Gaza.”
So, what’s left? A fractured flotilla full of leaky boats, bruised egos, and a not-so-subtle rainbow battle playing out on deck.
Why This Matters for the LGBTQ+ Community
The squabble is more than just activist drama—it’s proof of the uncomfortable truth that queer activists are still treated as expendable in global justice movements. Visibility becomes a bargaining chip: tolerated when convenient, discarded when divisive.
For LGBTQ+ people, especially queer Arabs who risk their safety by stepping into the spotlight, this flotilla fiasco lays bare the prejudice they face not only from political opponents but from supposed allies. It’s a reminder that solidarity without equality is hollow, and rainbow sails deserve their place on the sea of resistance just as much as any national flag.
In short: the flotilla may be headed to Gaza, but it’s already shipwrecked on homophobia.