Actors Alyssa Milano and Debra Messing are being applauded for speaking out against anti-Semitism associated with the Women’s March movement, with the former announcing that she will not speak at next year’s march and the latter backing the decision.
The Zioness Movement, which attended the Women’s March in 2017, said it “applauds Alyssa Milano and Debra Messing for calling out the leaders of the Women’s March for their hateful rhetoric and their continued association with bigots and anti-Semites like Louis Farrakhan.”
Messing, who is Jewish, was raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and attended New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts.
“Zioness rejects the divisive examples of Linda Sarsour, Tamika Mallory and others who claim to be ‘leaders’ of women, while they continue to support anti-Semitic, homophobic figures like Farrakhan and make consistent efforts to demonize the Jewish community in progressive spaces. We refuse to be intimidated by their attempts to exclude progressive Zionists from spaces like the Women’s March,” added the group.
Milano told The Advocate a few weeks ago: “I would say no at this point. Unfortunate that none of them have come forward against him at this point. Or even given a really good reason why to support them.”
Regarding the leaders of the Women’s March who have refused to denounce Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan’s anti-Semitic and other bigoted remarks, Milano said that “any time that there is any bigotry or anti-Semitism in that respect, it needs to be called out and addressed. I’m disappointed in the leadership of the Women’s March that they haven’t done it adequately.”
