Tel Aviv-Yafo’s renowned Pride Parade will take on a different tone this year. Traditionally a celebration attracting around 250,000 international partygoers, the event, scheduled to take place June 6-7, has been remodeled with a poignant message to mark Israel’s most challenging period in decades, marked by a devastating conflict, a hostage crisis, and political turmoil.
For many individuals in Israel’s LGBTQ community, forgoing the usual festivities to hold a somber rally that calls for unity, gender freedom, and the release of hostages is an attempt to become a powerful symbol of resilience and solidarity, transcending barriers to demand justice and equality for all. Or Tom Adi, the activities manager at Tel Aviv’s LGBTQ Center, spoke to The Media Line about the changes for the Pride events this year and the reasoning behind them.
We’re not holding a celebration, but we are honoring those in our community, strengthening our liberal values of equality, justice, and solidarity
“The Pride and Hope Rally will have lead singers, speakers, LGBTQ community members in the IDF, and volunteer workers who, over the last year, took a stand for Israeli society. We’re not holding a celebration, but we are honoring those in our community, strengthening our liberal values of equality, justice, and solidarity,” Adi said.
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In addition to Israel’s current war and political crisis, the country’s LGBTQ community also wants to highlight that they are still fighting for equal rights. “The LGBTQ community in Israel has yet to achieve full equality in the country. Israeli society is currently debating the role of the LGBTQ community in making the country stronger, so, at this moment, fighting for the release of the hostages is our way to fight for this country.”
According to Reut Naggar, a social activist and a Tel Aviv-Yafo City Council member who organizes Pride events, “This year, Israel is experiencing its most difficult hour—massacre, hostages, and a war that exacts too heavy a price from both Israel and Palestine. The extreme Israeli government has cut 14 million shekels [$3.8 million] from the LGBTQ community’s budget and is investing these funds and much more in corruption and short-term political interests,” she told The Media Line.
This year, Israel is experiencing its most difficult hour—massacre, hostages, and a war that exacts too heavy a price from both Israel and Palestine
“Hamas is a bitter enemy to both Israelis and Palestinians. This year, the community decided we have nothing to celebrate with a happy parade as we were hurt and angry. We’ll hold a rally on Thursday evening in cooperation with the headquarters of the Hostages Families. We’ll have members of the LGBTQ community—Jews and Arabs, secular and religious, of all genders calling for the building of bridges, calling for gender freedom, and the release of the hostages,” she added, highlighting that there would also be parades in Jerusalem, Haifa, Beersheba, and Mitzpe Ramon, but they will resemble more of a protest than a party.
Jerusalem’s annual gay pride parade was held on Thursday under heavy security. The Jerusalem event was always more reserved than the bacchanalian festivities held in Tel Aviv, in keeping with the holy city’s more conservative vibe. But this year, as with the planned Tel Aviv rally, the atmosphere was particularly subdued. LGBTQ+ residents and allies marched through the city carrying rainbow flags, Israeli flags, and yellow ribbons in solidarity with the hostages still held in Gaza. The event lacked the vibrant cheers and music typically associated with the parade. Organizers estimated that 10,000 people participated, a significant decrease from last year’s 30,000. Police reported that 2,000 officers were on duty to ensure safety.
According to Naggar, the war this year has brought considerable distress to Israel’s queer community as it was targeted on multiple fronts on top of the regular problems they already face. “This year, we’re disappointed with progressives and liberals outside of Israel who accuse the country of ‘pinkwashing.’ I have been an activist for 14 years alongside people who dedicate their lives to promoting LGBTQ rights despite the difficult conditions and the political climate in Israel that is only getting more extreme. Progressive people outside of Israel that boycott the queer community in Israel, and the women’s and human rights organizations in Israel are boycotting the only agents of the liberal struggle here.”
She continued: “There is an attempt to push liberal democratic values to the margins for Jews and Arabs alike. It is important to emphasize the plight of our LGBTQ Arab brothers and sisters in Gaza and the West Bank, that we, as community organizations, are trying to help them under impossible conditions. There is no shortage of stories of LGBTQ people who were rescued from there due to threats.”
There is an attempt to push liberal democratic values to the margins for Jews and Arabs alike. It is important to emphasize the plight of our LGBTQ Arab brothers and sisters in Gaza and the West Bank, that we, as community organizations, are trying to help them under impossible conditions. There is no shortage of stories of LGBTQ people who were rescued from there due to threats.
Regarding the planned changes in this year’s Pride events, Zohar Avigdori, a member of the LGBTQ community and a family member of hostages taken by Hamas to Gaza, shared his support for them. “The Hostages’ families are hundreds of people, so not all decisions and opinions are made collectively, but I’m sure most of them are moved by the changes. They moved us by asking us what we thought was appropriate for the Pride events this year,” he said.
“During Purim, the hostages’ families felt hurt as many people celebrated as if nothing changed. For the Pride events, it was the complete opposite, and I think it shows the LGBTQ community caring for our togetherness as Israelis. The grassroots activism of the LGBTQ community was very caring for the hostages’ families,” revealed Avigdori.