London Trans+Pride, a community which organises the largest Trans+ Pride demonstration in the world, has excluded Zionists from its annual march.  UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has accused the group of racism and religious discrimination and requested that it re-think this policy.

London Trans+Pride is a grassroots event organized by and for the trans+ community in the UK, focused on celebrating trans lives and advocating for trans rights through protest and celebration.  They have published instructions for their annual parade on Instagram in a 20 page “booklet”, one page of which lists what is excluded.  Along with harassment, racism, religious discrimination, this also, shockingly, includes Zionism.

This has upset many Jewish and Israeli members of the LGBTQ+ community, who contacted UKLFI for help.

UKLFI has written to the organisers of London Trans+ Pride, explaining that this  exclusion of Zionists would also mean the exclusion of many Jews and Israelis from the event and from the LGBTQ+ community. Zionism is the belief in self-determination for the Jewish people, and in the State of Israel.  It is at the core of the Jewish culture and embedded in the religion.

UKLFI explained that it is divisive and racist to exclude Jews and Israelis from London Trans+Pride, and breached their own values of inclusivity and intolerance of “racism and racial discrimination”. It is also illegal as it breaches the Equality Act 2010.    Furthermore, excluding LGBTQ+ Zionists, Israelis and Jews has the effect of stirring up racial hatred.

Several of London Trans+Pride’s facebook followers were evidently distressed by this ban, and comments on Facebook included:

“Not sure why you are banning people from the only place where its’s safe to be gay or trans in the Middle east?  Care to explain?”

“Why do you ban those from the only country in the ME that hosts pride & it’s legal & celebrated to be LGTBQ? Why is a progressive organisation so racist?”

“Emily Damari was held by a Hamas terrorist who said he would kill his own brother if he found out he was gay.  The people you support would throw all of you off a rooftop!  You are a despicable bunch of racists.”

“The place for racists and supporters of Islamic terrorists then.  You should educate yourself of what Zionism means instead of being anti semitic.  Not inclusive at all”.

If London Trans+Pride 2025 is refusing to permit LGBTQ+ Zionists, Israelis and Jews to attend the march, because of their race, religion and belief (which are protected characteristics under section 4 of the Equality Act 2010), then this is discrimination according to section 29 (1)  of the Equality Act 2010 which states:   “A person concerned with the provision of a service to the public or a section of the public (for payment or not) must not discriminate against a person requiring the service by not providing the person with the service”.

A UKLFI spokesperson said, “The action of London Trans+Pride in excluding Zionists from its march is obviously racist and discriminatory, and has caused distress for Jewish and Israeli members of this community.  We hope that London Trans+Pride will re-think their divisive and racist policy.  We are also writing to the Mayor of London to urge him to prevent this racist event in London.”