California state Senator Scott Wiener found himself bowing to pressure from a progressive, anti-Israel faction, ultimately labeling Israel’s actions in Gaza as “genocide” after facing intense criticism at a contentious candidate forum.

“I’ve criticized Netanyahu and his hardline government for the destruction they’ve caused in Gaza,” Wiener, known for his distinct style, shared on X Sunday afternoon. “Previously, I refrained from calling it genocide, but I can’t hold back any longer,” he continued.

Wiener’s declaration came on the heels of jeers from the audience during a fast-paced Q&A segment at the forum, where candidates were asked if they believed Israel’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide. The senator, who is Jewish and once a strong supporter of Israel, found himself in a difficult position.

His competitors, San Francisco Supervisor Connie Chan and former congressional aide Saikat Chakrabarti, openly displayed signs with the word “yes.” In contrast, Wiener refrained from raising either a “yes” or “no” sign, later explaining that the complexity of the issue could not be captured in such a binary format.

Accompanying his social media post was a 90-second video where Wiener elaborated on his stance.

“For many Jews, associating the word ‘genocide’ with the Jewish state of Israel is deeply painful and frankly traumatic,” Wiener said. “But despite that pain and trauma, we all have eyes.”

The gay politician is a regular at San Francisco’s Folsom Street Fair, where he’s been spotted wearing a leather vest and tie, and has described himself as a staunch advocate for drag culture.

Wiener has backed policies supporting gender-affirming care for minors, allowing nonbinary designations on government IDs — which the federal government has opposed — and ending laws that require adults who had oral or anal sex with minors to be automatically placed on sex offender registries, arguing those laws disproportionately target LGBTQ youth.