Graffiti exploits gays

According to “Protest mural depicts Trump, PM on Bethlehem wall” (October 30), Australian graffiti artist Lushsux painted the image to draw attention to the “people stuck in here.” But he is also contributing to the region’s deadly homophobia by symbolically linking this issue to gayness.

The dialogue on the mural, which shows the locking lips, goes as follows: “Thanks for the wall Trumpy pumpkin,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says. US President Donald Trump responds: “Bibi, your country and you will always come first, my love.”

The mural has undeniable power. But its power derives in part from public homophobia. In the artist’s view, Trump and Netanyahu are joint oppressors of the Palestinians. They are such a noxious pair of men that they would even kiss each other.

A mural can be thought of as a painting with a built-in context that largely defines its meaning. In this case, the context is nothing short of rigid and violent homophobia.

Homosexuality is punishable by death in six Middle Eastern countries. Thousands of gay Palestinians are reported to have fled to Israel because of the hostility they face in the Palestinian territories, and there are reputable reports that Palestinian Authority police keep files on homosexuals for blackmailing.

If Lushsux hasn’t got anything good to say about Trump or Netanyahu, there are plenty of artistic ways to say it that don’t exploit gays and lesbians. TODD PITTINSKY Port Jefferson, New York