Dyke March organizers said the women were ejected because they were carrying flags reminiscent of the Israeli flag at an anti-Zionist event and had “repeatedly expressed support for Zionism during conversations” with other marchers. An organizer told Ms Hammond that she and the newspaper had “failed in its journalistic mission”.
Yesterday the magazine announced that Ms Hammond is to begin a full-time role this month as part of a year-long fellowship.
Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet, said: “I’m deeply honoured to welcome Gretchen to our staff.
“I know she will enrich all of our lives and minds, and only hope we can give her half of what she’ll give us. And I also hope our readers imbibe the broader message here: If a half-Punjabi, half-Church of England transgender convert to Judaism can find the courage to stand up for what’s right and true, you can too.”
The announcement included a statement from Ms Hammond. She said: “I found the landscape in which our silos were placed was vast and beautiful but also capable of great ugliness in no small part because, as Laverne Cox once reminded us, ‘hurt people hurt people.’ Two weeks ago, I ran afoul of that ugliness by reporting on a growing cancer from within the community.
“The rest of the world shook their heads, some in astonishment, some with a smug, ‘What did we tell you?’, while the voices of three Jewish girls who went to a Pride march were silenced and then the reporter who told their story.
“When you lose your voice, even for two weeks, the isolation is unbearable.”
