Trasek ry and ICAHD Finland arranges a panel discussion on the phenomenon called ”Pinkwashing” during the Helsinki Pride Week. (Finnish descripion, please see below)
Pinkwashing means multiple marketing strategies or a political equality rhetoric that states and private corporations use to boost their brand or image as rainbow friendly, that is, as promoting LGBT rights. Pinkwashing often strengthens the simplistic conception of Western states as tolerant, liberal and progressive, whilst at the same time ignoring structural discrimination and persecution of minority groups, such as queer persons of color and asylum seekers.
What are the norms that pinkwashing produces, strengthens and maintains? How can pinkwashing be recognized and resisted? In this panel discussion, you get to know what is meant by pinkwashing, how it works, and what you should do about it.
Panelists
Ghadir Shafie (Aswat).
Ghadir Shafie identifies as a Palestinian queer feminist activist, and is currently serving as a co-director at Aswat -Palestinian Gay Women. Palestinian queer women fight a triple oppression – as Palestinians, an indigenous minority in Israel suffering systematic discrimination in policies and practices; as women in the context of conflict and the geopolitical challenges facing our feminist movements; and as queers, facing homophobia and Pinkwashing. Ghadir believes in the intersectionality of our struggle, visibilizing this intersectionality to others by uniting the feminist, queer and Palestinian liberation movements in a monumental struggle for justice and freedom to all Palestinians.
Syksy Räsänen (ICAHD Finland ry).
Syksy Räsänen is the chair of the Finnish branch of the Israeli Committee Against House Demolitions (ICAHD). ICAHD is an organisation that works against Israel’s occupation and apartheid regime and for equal rights for all residents of Israel/Palestine. Räsänen has also done grassroots human rights activism with the International Solidarity Movement on the Occupied Palestinian Territories. His book ”Israelin apartheid” (Israel’s apartheid) was published in May 2017.
Julian Honkasalo (Trasek ry.)
Julian Honkasalo is a research scholar in gender studies at the University of Helsinki. His research concerns the history of racial hygiene, transgender sterilization legislation and trans social justice activism. Honkasalo has a background in peace work and humanitarian activism and has conducted HIV/AIDS –related work in Zambia and Nepal as well as participated in social justice educational work in the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon.
Panel moderator: Kasper Kivistö (Trasek ry.)
Location: Pride House, Keskuskatu 1
Language: English
Organizers: Trasek ry. & ICAHD Finland
Tapahtuma Facebookissa.
Suomenkielinen kuvaus
Pinkkipesulla (pinkwashing) tarkoitetaan valtioiden ja ylikansallisten yritysten sateenkaariystävällisen imagon vahvistamista ja brändäämistä poliittisiin ja kaupallisiin tarkoitusperiin. Pinkkipesuun yhdistyy usein homonationalismi, eli HLBT-oikeuksien mutkaton rinnastaminen tasa-arvoon, edistyksellisyyteen ja valkoisuuteen, homofobian ollessa jotakin takapajuista ja sivistymätöntä, joka kuuluu ”toisten” kulttuureihin ja uskontoihin. Mitä muita normeja pinkwashing tuottaa, vahvistaa ja ylläpitää? Miten pinkwashingiin voi puuttua? Paneelikeskustelussa pääset perille siitä, mitä tarkoitetaan paljon puhutulla pinkkipesulla miten se ilmenee ja mitä sille tulisi tehdä.
Panelisteina palestiinalainen queerfeministi Ghadir Shafie (Aswat), aktivisti ja tutkija Syksy Räsänen (ICAHD Finland ry) ja Julian Honkasalo (Trasek ry).
Juontajana toimii Trasek ry:n varapuheenjohtaja Kasper Kivistö.
Sijainti: Pride House, Keskuskatu 1.
Kieli: englanti
Järjestäjät: Trasek ry. & ICAHD Finland ry.