Queer Palestinian in Berlin: After CSD Attack, Identity and Prejudice

In the aftermath of the attack on the CSD parade in Berlin on July 25, a queer Palestinian author describes how the victims were quickly overshadowed by political instrumentalization in media coverage. The author, who is British-born and lives in Berlin, was marching behind the Madonna float when a man fired a confetti cannon. The next morning, he woke to a flood of messages asking if he was okay. As the manhunt for the suspect began, images of a 21-year-old with dark, curly hair and light-skinned Arab appearance were released—someone who looked just like him. The author reflects on the complex feelings of belonging to multiple communities and the prejudice he faces. The piece highlights the tension between queer and Palestinian identities in the context of the attack, and the author's exhaustion from navigating these overlapping identities.