San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria announced that he will not be attending this year’s San Diego Pride Festival, alongside a group of Jewish organizations who have also pulled their support, due to objections over the headlining performer Kehlani’s pro-Palestinian remarks online.  

According to a letter obtained by the San Diego Union-Tribune, Gloria informed the San Diego Pride organization that his office had received “an overwhelming number of calls and e-mails” about Kehlani, because the artist had “used regrettable and controversial rhetoric on social media about the Jewish community.” According to the mayor’s office, he will attend and walk in the parade, but not participate in the rest of the event. 

Gloria, as well as eight prominent Jewish organizations in San Diego including the Anti-Defamation League of San Diego and the Jewish Federation of San Diego, are withdrawing from the event criticizing Kehlani’s participation, and citing security concerns. Dr. Jennifer Anger and Eliyaho Cohen-Mizrahi, the festival’s director of medical operations and assistant director of medical operations respectively, both of whom are Jewish, have stepped down from their roles in solidarity with the Jewish community.

Since 2023, the five-time Grammy-nominated singer has been vocal online in support of Palestinian civilians and condemning Israel’s invasion of Gaza. Their 2024 music video for “Next 2 U” features a poem by Palestinian-American poet Hala Alyan that declares, “Long live the intifada,” and prominently features Palestinian flags and keffiyah suits throughout the video. 

Kehlani faced similar backlash earlier this year when their scheduled performance at Cornell University in April was canceled by the university president over the singer’s support of Palestine. Another performance was canceled in May at SummerStage in New York, with New York City mayor Eric Adams citing “security concerns” over Khelani’s inclusion. 

Responding to Cornell, Kehlani posted a video on April 26 stating, “I am not antisemitic, nor anti-Jew. I am anti-genocide. I am anti the actions of the Israeli government. I am anti an extermination of an entire people. I am anti the bombing of innocent children, men, women.”

Kehlani is currently still scheduled to perform at San Diego Pride, but according to Gloria, Kehlani’s contract was revised to prevent the artist from “engaging in political speech.”