Source: YnetNews, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post
More than a thousand people arrived at the Gan Meir Park in Tel Aviv on Friday afternoon to participate in the 10th Gay Pride Parade and to celebrate the gay community's struggle for equality.
Organizers and local officials also christened a center for the gay community situated in the city's Meir park.
"The center symbolizes an amazing turning point in the history of the gay community, and our activities will now have fertile ground from which to grow and flourish," Army Radio quoted one of the parade participants as saying.
The marchers began at the park and will finish at Gordon Beach, where a party is planned to take place.
During the parade, participants shouted, "Are there any homosexuals here?" And the crowd answered "yes".
Dganit, one of the participants, said that her goal is for gay people to seem less like a phenomenon and more like an integral part of society. "The time has come for two males kissing on the street to be legitimate, even outside of Tel Aviv.
"We also want the right to same-sex marriages and adoption. Our message is not political but social." According to Dganit, in the last few years the parade has been too provocative. “It doesn’t have to be a street party,” she said.
Morry, a Japanese tourist, arrived at the parade and told YNetNews, "it was amazing, I know that this is prohibited in Judaism and still many people arrived, even the mayor is supportive. This is something that would never happen in Japan."
A line of public figures spoke Friday afternoon with the participants before the parade took off. Tel Aviv City Councilwoman Yael Dayan said "you are my brothers and sisters and I love you."
MK Zahava Gal-On, chairwoman of the Meretz party discussed the importance of the event. "This parade is a demonstration against those harming the freedom of expression. We are struggling for equality and respect and we have a long way to go. No one will stop us, we will be here again next year and we will be victorious."
The municipal center that opened last week in Gan Meir Park will coordinate all of the community’s organizational activities, YnetNews reports.
Tel Aviv City Councilman Itai Pinkas, who has been working on the center for more than five years, said, "We decided not to put a fence around the center because we feel good in Tel Aviv, we want everyone and we feel wanted. The center will be open at all times."
Pinkas is Tel-Aviv City Hall's advisor for the Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual, and Bisexual community.
The building housing the center served for decades as the home of the "Workers' children's school" serving the children of the Labor Party elite, and later a local high school.
"The image of God can be seen in every person, and therefore, this building is not only a community center, but a house of God" said Rabbi David Lazar at a ceremony Thursday to bless the affixing of the building's mezuzah.
The initiative to build the center was started five years ago by leaders of the local Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual, and Bisexual community, and its opening represents the first time the city has officially sanctioned such a project, Haaretz reports.
The center has already hosted events for a teen gay pride group, as well as one to prepare new Israel Defense Forces recruits for their enlistment and plans on hosting ballet recitals and events for elderly members of the community.
Pinkus said at Thursday's dedication that the center will hold many events for the elderly, as these members "spent years underground, at a time when they were under risk of serious personal harm if they were to be exposed."
Unlike similar events in the more religious capital, which have sparked bitter right-wing protests and violent demonstrations, the Tel Aviv parade faced only token resistance, Haaretz reports.
"The parade here is different from the one in Jerusalem," Army Radio quoted another parade participant. "Here, we celebrate the freedom and rights that we have - it's a festival, a happening, it's a joy. In Jerusalem, it's simply a demonstration for human rights."
Several confrontations did take place however. There were brief altercations Friday between participants in the parade and a group of right-wing and religious demonstrators, Jerusalem Post reports.
No one was wounded and police were not required to intervene.
The demonstrators held signs which read: 'Animals! You have nothing to be proud of, take your medication.'
Meanwhile, Zahava Gal-On, who attended the march, slammed Shas and its chairman Eli Yishai, who on Thursday attempted to prevent the parade from going ahead by filing a compliant to police.
Army Radio quoted Gal-On saying of Yishai's efforts, saying "their ignorance and dark beliefs take as back to the Middle Ages. It is intolerable that the religious and Haredis tell us what to believe in and how to live. Now they're trying to forbid the gay community from parading in the streets."
Full article: 'Any homosexuals in the crowd?' 'Yes!' | Ynetnews
Thousands attend 10th annual Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv | Haaretz
Brief altercations at Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv | Jerusalem Post
Out of the closet, into the center: Tel Aviv's first gay community center opens its doors | Haaretz