Several Jewish organizations today announced they were pulling out of San Diego Pride due to the event's inclusion of Kehlani, an artist they claim has made anti-Semitic comments.
These groups and synagogues — some of which have been part of Pride for years — include the Jewish Federation of San Diego, Anti-Defamation League of San Diego, Lawrence Family Jewish Community Center and several synagogues.
"My role at Pride has always been to ensure the health and safety of everyone attending, but as a Jewish San Diegan, I can no longer ignore the very real risks that come with normalizing hate speech like the kind Kehlani has promoted," said Dr. Jennifer Anger, who has volunteered as a medical director for the festival for the last two years. "It's heartbreaking to step away from an event I've supported for years, but when the Jewish community's safety is treated as negotiable, we're left with no choice.
"Pride should be a place of healing and inclusion — not one that turns its back on a community in pain."
The artist the groups are concerned with is Kehlani, who has been vocal about support for Palestinians and Gaza during the nearly two-year-long bombing campaign and invasion of that strip of land by Israel following terrorist attacks by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023.
Kehlani, who uses they/them pronouns, has voiced disapproval about other artists who have not spoken out about Gaza, and in 2023 signed an open letter calling for a ceasefire and an end to the Israeli blockade of the Gaza Strip. Kehlani continued to show support via social media for the Palestinian people in 2024 by calling for fellow musicians to support the plight of Gazans.
The backlash began in earnest this year, when Cornell University's annual Slope Day was canceled in April by university president Michael Kotlikoff over Kehlani's support for Palestine. He said the singer had "espoused antisemitic, anti-Israel sentiments in performances, videos and on social media."
Kehlani fired back. "I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti- genocide, I am anti the actions of the Israeli government, I am anti an extermination of an entire people, I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women — that's what I'm anti," Kehlani wrote on Instagram.
Kehlani's comments have reflected such, attacking what an United Nations Special Committee and Amnesty International have also described as the genocide of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. According to the Hamas-run Gaza Health Ministry, more than 55,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 125,000 wounded in Israel's campaign as of June 5, but the exact number could be different, as casualties are difficult to count during armed conflict. A total of 1,195 people were killed on Oct. 7, 736 of them Israeli civilians. More than 250 people were taken hostage.
Last month, the Finest Community Coalition, comprised of dozens of San Diego Jewish organizations, claimed Kehlani's comments would create an unwelcoming environment at the two-day Pride Festival in July. The coalition describes itself as "an independent initiative that takes a community-wide approach to combat antisemitism together for a better San Diego."
"As a queer, a Jew, a Zionist and as someone who is horrified at the suffering in Gaza, I will not be participating in Pride this year — and neither should any organization that claims to be inclusive and strives to be a safe place for all," said Laura Stratton, a member of Temple Emanu-El of San Diego.
A free concert featuring Kehlani scheduled for Pride Month events in June was canceled earlier this month in New York City by Mayor Eric Adams, who cited security concerns amid the singer's Palestine comments and criticisms of the Israeli government.
San Diego Pride Festival is scheduled for July 19-20 in Balboa Park. Kehlani is scheduled to headline Saturday's performance. Kim Petras will headline Sunday.
A San Diego Pride representative told City News Service the organization was drafting a statement and would have a response Friday afternoon.
