Mitzpe Ramon holds its first gay pride parade, despite local leader’s opposition
Hundreds at event, after council head speaks out against it while lamenting ‘army of shadows marching in victory parades from Manhattan to Berlin’
Several hundred people took part in the first-ever pride parade in the southern community of Mitzpe Ramon, over the objections of the local council head.
Participants included residents of nearby towns such as Beersheba and Yeruham. Also attending were Knesset members Yorai Lahav-Hertzano and Yasmin Fridman from Yesh Atid and Mossi Raz of Meretz.
Local municipality chief Roni Marom spoke out against the event earlier this week, saying it was “a mistake” by the LGBT community “to externalize their sexuality.”
Though he said there were gays and lesbians in his family and among his friends, and that “I love them unconditionally,” he stated that “there is no place for gay pride just as there is no place for pride by ‘regular’ males and females.”
ראש עיריית מצפה רמון ,רוני מרום
דווקא לא נראה חשוך, נראה נורמלי לחלוטין. https://t.co/QUpbewP2Mb pic.twitter.com/3Dm756DkA4
— אביעד בוכריס (@aviad_b1) July 1, 2021
He added: “I oppose the parades by the army of shadows marching in victory parades from Manhattan to Berlin.”
“I do not recognize the pride flag and I refuse to call them ‘a community,'” he said.
Marom recently refused to use funds from the Social Equality Ministry for raising awareness and acceptance of LGBT issues in the community, causing anger among many in the community.
