LGBTQ+ group pulls Biden endorsement over 'perilous' handling of Israel-Hamas war

The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club in San Francisco has rescinded its endorsement of President Joe Biden for the state's March primary over his handling of Israel's war on Gaza.

The rescission was agreed upon during a special meeting held Sunday, which the group said was "attended by over 100 activists and members" who "overwhelmingly" voted in favor of withholding their endorsement. The group said Monday that their decision "reflects widespread outrage and international indignation over the President's handling of the Israel-Gaza conflict."

"Focused on the crisis in Gaza, we condemn President Biden's misguided and perilous actions, and inaction, which undermine the long-term interests of both Israelis and Palestinians," the group wrote in a statement. "Despite officials privately suggesting a charitable interpretation of Biden's approach, the outcome is deemed a demonstrable failure."

The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club was founded in 1976 as the San Francisco Gay Democratic Club, according to the organization's website. The site states that the group was the first Democratic club to include "gay" in its name. It was then renamed in 1978 after Harvey Milk's assassination.

"The Milk Club is a place for people to be political, left, and queer. It is also a Club founded to keep the LGBTQ community free of anointed gatekeepers and machine politics," the organization's website reads.

The group claimed that it was the "first Democratic club in San Francisco" to condemn the Hamas attacks on October 7, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and another 240 taken hostage. Since then, 25,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been killed, over two-thirds being women and children, according to the latest numbers via CBS News. An additional 62,000 people in Gaza have been wounded, with more than 85 percent of Gaza's 2.3 million population displaced. This, the club said, they also condemn.

"We condemn the Israeli mass killing of tens of thousands of civilians and mourn the tragic loss of life in Gaza and Israel," the group continued. "Genocidal acts violate international law, and the mass killing, forced displacement, and sexual violence against a captive, stateless population shake our common humanity."

The Harvey Milk LGBTQ Democratic Club added that "while our stance doesn't extend to the November 2024 general elections, we aim to send a powerful signal to President Biden and the Democratic establishment that our base demands to be heard."

"As an LGBTQ organization, we cannot stand idly by when the President suggests that Palestinian lives are less valuable than Israeli lives, implying that the application of international law becomes optional and human rights are restricted," they concluded. "Our decision to rescind our endorsement of Joe Biden in the primary election reflects our collective voice urging swift action and a comprehensive reevaluation of policies to address the ongoing humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."

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