Statement from the Global LGBT+ Coordinating Committee of Public Services International: For a Free Palestine – Support for the Global Sumud Flotilla and Saif Ayadi, Queer Voice from Tunisia
From the Global LGBT+ Coordinating Committee of Public Services International, we reaffirm our solidarity, unconditional support, and militant commitment to the Global Sumud Flotilla, an international initiative that challenges the illegal and genocidal blockade imposed by Israel on Gaza. It symbolizes the steadfastness (ṣumūd) of the Palestinian people in the face of occupation, violence, and the denial of fundamental rights.
1. The Global Sumud Flotilla: Solidarity at Sea Against Siege on Land
The Global Sumud Flotilla is not merely a humanitarian aid mission—it is a political act of nonviolent civil resistance against a blockade that, for over 17 years, has deprived two million Palestinians in Gaza of access to food, medicine, water, electricity, and freedom of movement.
Organized by an international network of social movements, trade unions, human rights organizations, and solidarity groups, this flotilla represents global direct action against impunity. Several countries have warned of the risk that Israel may intercept or attack the boats, despite their strictly civilian and humanitarian nature. If such aggression occurs, it will be yet another demonstration of the brutality of an occupying regime that violates international law and basic principles of humanity.
For us, who defend the value of public services, human rights, and social justice, the flotilla symbolizes what the international response to injustice should be: collective, visible, and courageous actions that do not bow to silence or complicity.
2. Saif Ayadi: The Queer Voice of Tunisia on the Flotilla
In this context, we highlight the participation of Saif Ayadi, a queer activist from Tunisia and member of Damj, an organization defending LGBTQIA+ rights in a context of criminalization and repression.
His presence on the flotilla is not an isolated gesture—it represents the interconnection of struggles. The liberation of the Palestinian people and the liberation of queer people are part of the same fight against multiple forms of oppression, discrimination, violence, colonialism, militarism, racism, patriarchy, and queerphobia that seek to divide us.
In Tunisia, persecution of LGBTQIA+ individuals has intensified in recent years, with arbitrary arrests, police violence, and institutionalized hate speech. A queer voice joining a global solidarity action for Palestine affirms intersectionality and shared resistance: no struggle for freedom is complete if anyone is left behind.
As the only known queer representative on the flotilla, Saif Ayadi makes visible that the right to exist, to love, and to live with dignity is universal—and that there is no justice in Palestine without justice for LGBTQIA+ people, nor queer justice without commitment to Palestinian liberation.
3. Our Call: International and Intersectional Solidarity
From the Global LGBT+ Coordinating Committee of PSI, we issue an urgent call:
To the international community: Ensure the safety of the Global Sumud Flotilla and condemn any attempt to repress it. The siege of Gaza is a violation of international humanitarian law and must end.
To democratic governments: Recognise the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, to live freely in their land, and to build a sovereign state in peace and dignity.
To trade unions and human rights organizations: Raise your voices and mobilise concrete actions of solidarity with Palestine and with those risking their lives to make this cause visible.
To global LGBTQIA+ movements: Recognize that our struggle is united with all struggles against oppression, and highlight the courage of activists like Saif Ayadi, who center the intersection of queer and anti-colonial resistance.
4. For a Free Palestine, For Borderless Queer Solidarity
We reaffirm our firm commitment: for a free Palestine, for an end to the siege and occupation, and for universal respect for human rights.
Our solidarity with the Global Sumud Flotilla is also a message of hope: that people can resist, that struggles can converge, and that dignity is non-negotiable.
And our voice alongside Saif Ayadi is an affirmation that queer resistance is an inseparable part of global resistance for justice, freedom, and a dignified life.
Global LGBT+ Coordinating Committee
Public Services International (PSI)
1 October, 2025