For the first time ever, Israel will play host to a monthlong series of events for and about gay men and lesbians.
Although most of the activities related to Gay Pride Month will take place in Tel Aviv, the opening ceremony will take place May 30 at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial in Jerusalem. The ceremony, the first of its kind in Israel, will honor the memory of homosexuals who died in the Holocaust.
In early June, thousands of Israelis are expected to attend the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations, which is meeting here this year. There participants will discuss such issues as ensuring the legal rights of homosexuals, and the dearth of local advertising directed toward gay and lesbian consumers.
Other events will include a picnic for gay and lesbian parents and their children, and a giant food festival, hosted by Tel Aviv’s most acclaimed chefs.
According to gay rights activists, the introduction of Gay Pride Month to Israel represents a victory for homosexual Israelis, many of whom have remained “in the closet” in the fear of encountering discrimination and harassment.
Ilan Shinfeld, spokesman of the Society for the Protection of Personal Rights for Gay Men, Lesbians and Bisexuals, said that Gay Pride Month is only one of many recent breakthroughs for gay men and lesbians in Israel.
Shinfeld believes that “societal attitudes have changed a lot in the past two years, especially in the area of education.
“About a year ago,” he said, “I wanted to visit high schools and discuss what it means to be homosexual. I sent dozens of letters to schools, but received only two positive responses.”
PAST YEAR HAS BEEN ‘INCREDIBLE’
Noting that the Education Ministry recently announced its intention to introduce the subject of homosexuality into the high school curriculum, Shinfeld said, “It’s incredible what has taken place in just one year.
“Education is very important,” he added. “Without education, public opinion toward homosexuals will continue to be negative, regardless of what the law says.”
Gay rights activists also point to progress in the legal sphere. Under the guidance of Knesset member Yael Dayan of the left-wing Meretz bloc, the Knesset recently passed a law forbidding discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
Yet another sign of progress was the Tourism Ministry’s decision last month to give a $500 grant to the World Congress of Gay and Lesbian Jewish Organizations.
The moves marks the first time that a government body has contributed funds to an organization dedicated to gay causes.
Orly Doron, spokeswoman for the Tourism Ministry, does not consider the grant unusual. “The Ministry of Tourism has an interest in attracting all kinds of tourists to Israel,” she said. “We support other kinds of conventions, so why not this one?”
Aderette Karni, an organizer of Gay Pride Month, attributes these strides to a greater openness within the gay and lesbian communities. “Society is changing because we’re changing,” she said.
Yet despite progress, gay activists say that Israeli society still discriminates against lesbians and gay men, especially in the synagogue and workplace.
Karni, who co-founded a gay-lesbian synagogue in Tel Aviv, Ga’avat Yisrael, said that it is “very difficult to be religious and gay, especially in Jerusalem.”
A minyan comprised of lesbians and gay men also meets quietly once a month in Jerusalem.
But asked whether she could imagine establishing an openly gay and lesbian synagogue here, Karni said, “I wouldn’t try it. The haredim (fervently Orthodox) would be very against it.”
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