An LGBT running club has been reported to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for alleged breaches of the Equality Act 2010 after allegedly barring an Israeli photographer from covering one of its events after he refused to confirm whether he was “pro-Palestine” (Mail, Telegraph).
The Queer Running Club (QRC) has been accused of discriminating against Omer Ga’ash by refusing to work with him.
The photographer had previously been asked by QRC to conduct a photo shoot of one of the club’s events being staged in an East London park.
He had offered to do the photo shoot free of charge, knowing that he would be credited for the photos and that he would get paid work as a result.
The day before the shoot however, QRC is alleged to have contacted Mr Ga’ash and asked him to confirm that his view was “pro-Palestine”, telling him: “I wanted to make sure that you’re aware that QRC has been (and continues to be) firmly pro-Palestine. I just wanted to make sure that that aligns with you.”
Mr Ga’ash, who is from Israel but has lived in the UK for a number of years, said he refused to do so, telling the London-based club that he keeps his political views separate from his art and professional services.
He told QRC: “I love my queer community despite any differences we may have. …My goal for tomorrow is for you lovelies to have wonderful photos to use.”
But in response QRC told him they were “not in a position to be able to separate our politics from our running” and would have to “postpone the shoot for the moment”.
The QRC, which describes itself as “a safe space for queer and trans people to run together”, was founded and run by Kole Fulmine, an ambassador for the Lululemon clothing brand.
The club states that it “is political by its very nature” and that “when queer people support one another it’s a political act of radical care against systemic oppressions that have historically held our community back, trivialised our experience and marginalised our existence”.
QRC receives a grant from “Pride in London” (PiL), which specifies that the “grant programme will not fund: […] projects that are exclusionary of members of the LGBT+ Community”.
The organisation now stands accused of discriminating against Mr Ga’ash, who has lived and exhibited in Britain for several years, by removing the offer of work on political grounds.
UK Lawyers for Israel (UKLFI) has reported the running club to the Equality and Human Rights Commission for alleged breaches of the Equality Act 2010, claiming that it is in breach of section 39(1)(c) of the Act, which states that “an employer must not discriminate against a person by not offering employment”, and section 39(2)(c) that states “an employer must not discriminate against an employee by dismissing [the employee] and/or by subjecting [them] to any other detriment”.
UKLFI’s legal team claims that QRC, as an employer, has discriminated against the photographer by not offering him employment and dismissing him, and as a result depriving him of the opportunity of receiving the benefit of future paid work.
QRC is also accused of subjecting Mr Ga’ash “to the detriment of being harshly treated by the manner in which his work was withdrawn, and by trying to force him, as an Israeli, to confirm he was “pro-Palestinian” while his country, Israel, was in the midst of a war against Hamas, a terrorist organisation which is the governing body of Gaza”.
UKLFI said this was a particularly egregious and insensitive thing to do, following the Hamas Oct 7 attacks which left 1,200 dead and saw 250 people taken hostage in the single worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.
Caroline Turner, director of UKLFI, commented: “It is very sad that an LGBTQ+ group feels they can discriminate against Israeli members of their own community. I hope that they will now realise that they are not only acting illegally but also in an extremely insensitive manner, and will change their discriminatory practices.”
The Equality and Human Rights Commission is now reportedly considering whether to take any action against the running club.
