Any time I have ever spoken up for Palestinian civilians, I see the same response: “But they don’t support LGBTQ+ people.” Let’s be honest about what that argument is really saying. It’s saying compassion should be conditional. That human rights are something people have to earn. That whether I care about innocent men, women, and children should depend on whether they share my politics, religion, or beliefs. I reject that completely. As a gay man, I know what it’s like to have people argue that my rights matter less because of who I am. I refuse to turn around and apply that same logic to anyone else. My humanity isn’t transactional. I don’t need someone to agree with me before I believe they deserve to live. That doesn’t mean I support every belief held by every person in Gaza. I don’t. Just as I don’t support every belief held by every government, every religion, or every society. It means I believe innocent civilians—Palestinian, Israeli, or anyone else—shouldn’t pay wit...