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drag queens

Drag Queen Florence Konstantina Delight prepares before taking to the stage at one of Istanbul's LGBT+ nightclubs in Istanbul on November 1, 2025. (Yasin AKGUL / AFP)
November 6, 2025, 12:15 pm
Turkey’s LGBTQ community warns of existential threat in bill policing biological sex
Critics predict that if enacted, the legislation would set back community rights by years, argue that it also threatens the broader public with vagueness on public morality
By Cem Taylan and Ionut Iordachescu
Rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie dressed in drag, as his alter-ego, the Rebbetzin Hadassah Gross, as seen in 'Sabbath Queen,' a film by Sandi DuBowski. (Courtesy)
February 8, 2025, 2:46 am
From radical drag queen to rabbi, film depicts journey of a Jewish law breaker
‘Sabbath Queen’ follows gay scion of rabbinic dynasty Amichai Lau-Lavie for two decades as he challenges traditional Judaism’s norms and becomes a respected communal leader
By Renee Ghert-Zand
The son of a renowned cantor, 11-year-old Yair Keydar, left, makes his New York stage debut in "Drag: The Musical" at New World Stages. Also pictured: Actors Joey McIntyre and Luxx Noir London. (Matthew Murphy)
December 11, 2024, 7:04 pm
Son of cantor, 11, makes Broadway debut in musical on drag queens
Yair Keydar has always been drawn to music, performing since he was a toddler while sharing the bimah with his cantor mom, and today attends the after-school Broadway Bound Academy
By Steve North
Thomas Jolly, the artistic director for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, poses sitting on a wall near the Seine River with the Eiffel tower in the background (R), in Paris, on July 2, 2024. (Joel Saget / AFP)
August 3, 2024, 1:38 am
Olympics ceremony director threatened for sexual identity, false claim of Israeli roots
French police say they have opened an investigation into online threats, hate speech against Thomas Jolly; LGBTQ+ icon who performed in opening event also faces online abuse
By AP
File: The Darvish (R) and Judy LaDivina (L) perform during Berlin Pride on July 22, 2023. (Screen capture: Youtube/ALEX Berlin, used in accordance with Clause 27a of the Copyright Law)
March 25, 2024, 11:45 am
Berlin drag show showcases Israeli-Arab coexistence in trying times
Yearslong partnership of Israeli, Syrian performers persists in ‘Together,’ a Hebrew-English-Arabic extravaganza adapted to wartime grief
By Reuters
Lior Israelov with scrapes and burns after getting trapped in a sinkhole near the Dead Sea in July 2022. (Screenshot)
July 19, 2022, 9:30 pm
Drag queen trapped in Dead Sea sinkhole, barely escapes
Lior Israelov, aka Suzi Boum, emerges with scrapes after he is caught in mud while hiking with a friend; ‘Go out and explore but be careful,’ he says
By ToI Staff
This image released by HBO shows Pastor Craig Duke, of Newburgh, Indiana, appearing in drag in a scene from the HBO series 'We're Here' (Jakes Giles Netter/HBO via AP)
December 10, 2021, 1:12 pm
Joining drag queens on TV show costs Indiana pastor his job
Rev. Craig Duke asked to be relieved of his duties after appearance on inclusivity program led to attacks by congregants. He says he was heartbroken by the response
By David Crary
Tal Kallai, aka Talula Bonet (R), and Yuval Edelman, aka Ziona Patriot on the show Quarantine. (Screen capture/YouTube)
April 8, 2020, 4:45 pm
Quarantined drag queens land TV show in Israel
Tal Kallai aka Talula Bonet, and Yuval Edelman aka Ziona Patriot, are picked up by TV network after their Facebook Live posts go viral
By ISAAC SCHARF
A scene from ITV's "Singletown." (video screenshot)
October 17, 2019, 8:46 pm
Novel Israeli program among deluge of dating shows aimed at women
With female-geared programs proliferating worldwide, new Israeli reality format stirring international interest has drag queens mentoring single women as they search for love
By Fiachra GIBBONS
Mama De La Smallah performs at a 2019 Tel Aviv Pride event at the Desire Club in South Tel Aviv. (Laura E. Adkins)
June 29, 2019, 3:50 am
For this Tel Aviv drag queen, the glitz and glamour are far from the point
Shortly after her release from the military, 20-year-old Mama de la Smallah says her role is to connect people and fight for rights of LGBTQ community
By LAURA E. ADKINS
Drag queen performer Jenayah De Rosario will be featured at a havdalah ceremony at the Lander Grinspoon Academy in Northampton, Mass. (JTA Collage/De Rosario photo: Courtesy of De Rosario; havdalah items photo: Wikimedia Commons)
January 19, 2018, 2:24 am
Breaking down stereotypes, Jewish day school to host drag queen Shabbat ceremony
Massachusetts’ Lander Grinspoon Academy will hold ‘Sparkle Havdalah’ event in recognition of ‘all sorts of family structures in our community’
By Josefin Dolsten
Illustrative: San Francisco-based Yiddish singer Jeanette Lewicki (center) is key to the revival of 1920s drag-performer Pepi Littman. (YouTube screenshot)
March 12, 2017, 1:59 am
This turn-of-the-century crossdressing feminist proves that Yiddish theater ain’t no drag
With a modern revival 100 years after Pepi Littman donned Hasidic garb, the irreverent, nearly forgotten performer is even more relevant
By Rich Tenorio
Lior Yisraelov displaying both sides of his character. (JTA/Katya Borodin)
November 19, 2016, 2:24 pm
Israel’s favorite drag queen is this former yeshiva boy
Lior Yisraelov, who grew up in a religious Zionist community in south Tel Aviv, now performs as Suzi Boum — fake eyelashes, blond wig, and glittering clothes included
By Andrew Tobin
People observe a minute of silence in honor of the victims of the Orlando massacre in a vigil at Tel Aviv's Evita Bar on June 14, 2016. (Melanie Lidman/Times of Israel)
June 15, 2016, 1:20 am
Tel Aviv, no stranger to terror, mourns with Orlando
Dozens of people gather at popular Tel Aviv gay bar to show solidarity with victims of Florida massacre
By Melanie Lidman
Israeli drag queen Yossale performs on stage at the Video bar in Jerusalem's Old City on February 23, 2016. (AFP Photo/Gil Cohen-Magen)
May 6, 2016, 2:16 pm
Drag queens raise holy hell in only gay bar in Jerusalem
Just steps from the Old City, ‘Allah Nash’ troupe puts on an irreverent act designed to ‘toy with people’s moral boundaries’
By DAPHNE ROUSSEAU
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