Dozens of Jews to march at London Pride despite Keshet withdrawal

More than 30 Jewish participants will march through central London on Saturday as part of this year’s Pride parade.

A bloc formed by several UK synagogues will march among 30,000 participants from over 500 LGBTQ+ groups for the 53^rd edition of the annual event.

But, for the second year running, the UK’s largest Jewish LGBTQ+ charity, KeshetUK, will not take part.

The educational charity, which has historically organised the Jewish bloc, pulled out of the official parade, citing concerns for the safety of Jewish participants.

Instead, a separate Jewish Pride gathering will take place elsewhere in Soho.

Nonetheless, several communities in the South East have come together to organise their own group for the parade. Among them is Dr Lynette Nusbacher, who last year publicly criticised KeshetUK’s decision to withdraw.

Speaking to the JC, Nusbacher, 58, said: “Pride is all about walking down the middle of the street and exercising agency, saying we are here and we are expressing who we are.

“Part of who we are is LGBTQ+ people and part of who we are is Jews. We are Jews who need to be able to express our Judaism and our connection to the Jewish community, as well as our connection to the rainbow coalition.”

A queer member of North West Surrey Synagogue, Nusbacher said she and others from her community had reached out to LGBTQ+ members of neighbouring synagogues, who were also keen to join.

Wimbledon Liberal, Kingston Liberal and Maidenhead synagogues are taking part, along with individual participants from across the South East who had planned to march independently.

The group consulted the Community Security Trust ahead of the parade. “They were very positive and said there are no direct threats to us as a group of Jewish people marching,” Nusbacher said.

She plans to fly a rainbow Pride flag emblazoned with a Star of David. Asked whether she was concerned about antisemitism on the march, she replied: “I am absolutely not worried. I carried my rainbow flag with a Magen David last year.

“It is my view that the Metropolitan police are very good at doing their job, and the CST are the last word in our community on security.”

Nusbacher was also critical of KeshetUK’s stance, claiming it was “dead wrong” not to march.

“Keshet requested that all of the stewards...have special training before interacting with the Jewish community. I found that unrealistic. These are people who will have the same security industry certification that we see stewards have at every other event.

“Last year, the stewards at Pride were efficient, effective and lovely,” said Nusbacher.

As previously reported in the JC, KeshetUK said it had made requests to Pride in London that antisemitism awareness training be offered to stewards and asked for “reassurance that British Jews would be physically and psychologically safe at the event amidst rapidly rising antisemitism and LGBT+ related hate crime in the UK”. Their requests were allegedly turned down.

“After various failures from Pride in London, we feel unable to say to British Jews that Pride in London has done everything in their power to keep us safe. We desperately wish this was not the case,” they said.

While declining to comment on the decision of the synagogues to march as a Jewish  bloc, a KeshetUK spokesperson added: "British LGBT+ Jews deserve the space to celebrate our identity alongside all other LGBT+ people in the UK. We are hugely disappointed in Pride in London.”

Pride in London CEO Christopher Joell-Deshields said when Keshet pulled out of the event in May that the organisation “remains open to continued dialogue with KeshetUK”.

"Our safety protocols are developed through extensive collaboration with city agencies and security professionals to protect all participants,” he went on, adding: “Our approach focuses on comprehensive security planning for our diverse volunteer team, who come from various religious, ethnic and sexual identities, and we strive to balance the needs of all religious and community groups participating in the parade.

"We continuously review our protocols to ensure they adequately address the safety concerns of all communities, and welcome further constructive engagement on how we can better serve London's diverse LGBTQ+ population.”