Tel Aviv hosts thousands at 14th annual gay pride parade
Revelers dance their way across the city, calling for equal rights for all Israel’s homosexuals
Drag queens, dancers and shirtless men partied through central Tel Aviv, with thousands packing the streets Friday for the city’s annual gay pride parade.
Israel’s homosexual community celebrated the city’s 14th annual parade as colorful floats with scantily dressed revelers drove through the streets. Cheering spectators waved rainbow flags and gyrated to the loud music.
Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai said at the pre-parade rally that the city had come a long way in the last 14 years, “with wonderful results.” He pledged to “carry on the long path.”
Earlier this year, Tel Aviv was picked by readers of the travel website Gaycities as the world’s top gay destination, ahead of Amsterdam and San Francisco.
Opposition leader MK Shelly Yachimovich (Labor) spoke at the rally, calling herself a longtime supporter of the LGBT community. “I support the equality of al human beings, regardless of religion, gender, race or socio-economic status,” said Yachimovich.
Among the participants at the rally was US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro, who told reporters that the US supports the rights of the LGBT community in Israel and around the world..
The slogan of this year’s parade was “Flags across the nation” and organizers wished to stress the link between the Tel Aviv parade and the LGBT community across the country. They said the parade was a reminder of the ongoing battle for equal rights for the entire community.
Gays serve openly in Israel’s military. Parliament and the Supreme Court have granted gays a variety of family rights, including inheritance and survivor’s benefits.
