Following an Israeli airstrike on a tented area for displaced people in Rafah on May 26, which is now being referred to as the “Tent Massacre”, a number of queer celebrities spoke out in support of Palestine, renewing calls for a ceasefire and condemning Israel’s genocidal actions. 

The recent attack reportedly resulted in the death of at least 45 civilians in Rafah, with images of the aftermath of the assault prompting a number of world leaders and queer celebrities to renew their calls for a ceasefire as the death toll of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Palestine continues to grow. 

Fires ignited as a result of the attack and quickly spread throughout the makeshift tent encampment in Rafah. A local field hospital, operated by the International Committee of the Red Cross, already low on resources, was overwhelmed by the attack.

“How can you not see history is repeating in rhyme? There is no coming back from this,” said non-binary singer Bambie Thug in an Instagram post reacting to the recent attack.

 

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Thug, who recently announced their headlining European tour, the “Crown The Witch Tour”, participated in the Eurovision contest earlier this month despite members of the LGBTQ+ community calling on artists to boycott the annual competition. Calls for boycott erupted following the European Broadcasting Union’s (EBU) decision to allow Israel to compete despite the country’s ongoing genocide of the Palestinian people. 

Thug refused to withdraw from the competition but used the platform to speak out against Israel and the EBU, saying their “heart and prayers are with the people of Palestine.”

Prior to this year’s Eurovision finale, Thug shared their cover of the Cranberries’ classic hit ‘Zombie’ alongside a lengthy caption outlining the non-binary artist’s thoughts on Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza. 

 

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“An important piece of music that needs to be remembered and is sadly still so relevant to our world today. I know many of you have varying opinions on my position at the moment, but I am truly doing everything in my power that I can support,” Thug wrote in response to backlash for their participation in this year’s Eurovision Song Contest. 

“After my first dress rehearsal I was asked to remove both free Palestine and ceasefire in ogham from my outfit. My delegation and I fought against this and the EBU eventually agreed to letting ceasefire remain.

“About an hour before my call time I was informed that they had an internal meeting and ceasefire was no longer acceptable, and if I didn’t remove this I would not be allowed on stage.

“I am pro justice and pro peace and this will never change, I only hope with a platform I can reach more peoples ears. My heart and prayers are with the people of Palestine #eyesonrafah?? and to be clear being pro Palestinian does not mean I am antisemitic, it means I am anti war, anti occupation, anti oppression and anti killing of innocent civilians and children!!

“Everyone born into this world should have the right to a home, safety, water, food, freedom and compassion. We must continue to strive to lead with love and look past our differences and remember that under our skin we are one human race and one spirit.

“Wake up world it is never too late to regain your conscience and admit that change must be made in the name of love,” Thug concluded. 

Bambie Thug was joined by a plethora of queer celebrities, such as American singer Kehlani, Pose actress Indya Moore, pop icon Halsey, and RuPaul’s Drag Race alumni Yvie Oddly and Jinkx Monsoon, who have openly spoken out in support of Palestine since this weekend’s attack. 

Fellow 2024 Eurovision entry Olly Alexander similarly shared a post in support of Palestine this week. The post featured the now-well-known refrain “All Eyes on Rafah,” as well as a caption borrowed from The Guardian, which read: “An Israeli airstrike that caused a huge blaze at a tented area for displaced people in Rafah is one of the deadliest single incidents in the eight-month war to date. It came two days after the international court of justice in The Hague, which arbitrates between states, ordered Israel to stop its operation in Rafah immediately.”

 

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Irish drag legend Panti Bliss, who appeared on the Irish version of Dancing With the Stars in 2023, joined queer celebrities in speaking out in support of Palestine this week. Panti, who has been very vocal in her support for Palestine in the past months, also donated an original Banksy print worth €800 to be auctioned off by Apartheid-Free Artists, “a collective of artists and art workers based in Ireland dedicated to using their creativity and influence to advocate for a free Palestine and to oppose the normalisation of the Israeli occupation”.

 

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Funds raised from the auction will go to a number of different organisations attempting to aid Palestinians, including the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), the Psychological Counselling Centre for Women, Al-Haq – a Palestinian non-governmental human rights organisation, and the Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights. 

Apartheid-Free Artists will similarly support Gaza-based artists with directed donations. 

Additional queer celebrities who have spoken out in support of Palestine since Sunday’s ‘tent massacre’ include figures such as Ricky Martin, Joel Kim Booster, Bella Ramsey, Kit Connor, Lily Gladstone, Kal Penn, Orville Peck, Rosie O’Donnell, Willow Pill, and Tan France to name a few.