There is a reason Jerusalem’s annual gay pride parade may lack the Madonna impersonators and carnivale style beats of LGBTQ celebrations in Manhattan and Tel Aviv, and it is the precise reason that the parade is so crucial to civil rights work in the city. While the pride parades of Tel Aviv connote jumbo floats, street vendors and a celebration of the feats the gay civil rights movement has overcome, Jerusalem’s parade is a political act, and an honest reminder that among gay activists there is more work to be done within the ancient city.
A member of Bat-Kol, a group for orthodox lesbians, marches in the parade
In Jerusalem, the history of the parade has been one of constant struggle with the ultra-orthodox community and the local municipality. And in a city of religious-secular tensions and right-wing dominated politics, it also represents a struggle for greater tolerance and acceptance for all Jerusalemites, gay and straight alike.
Before walking in the parade with a group of AIC interns and friends, I had the chance to interview Amit Lev from Open House Jerusalem, a non-profit LGBTQ advocacy group. While I waited to chat with him I sat in the organization’s living room, a makeshift gallery with Warhol-like paintings and photos of transgender models lining the wall.
Members of Israel's left-wing Hadash party march in Jerusalem's gay pride parade
Jerusalemites march in the city wide gay pride parade
For leftist activists involved in national politics, the parade was also an opportune moment to address other social issues like the ever touchy occupation discussion. It is no wonder that the cowbell masters and snare drum captains lining Bell Park are the very same beat makers from the weekly anti-occupation demonstrations throughout the region. From the Meretz Party to Hadash, the event was a chance for activists from across the leftie spectrum to talk about occupation, racism, sexism, and oppression of all forms.
By the time I left the post parade festivity (imagine a rainbow colored version of the final score from Broadway’s “Hair” and it’s like you were there, too), the connection between the struggle for gay rights and an end to the oppressive policies of the occupation was clear. As Kvisa Shchora (“Black Laundry”), an LGBTQ advocacy organization argues, one can not selectively choose to advocate on behalf of some oppressed groups and not others; the struggle for gay rights is as much about equal rights for the LGBTQ community as it is for Palestinians living under occupation.
Hi Rachel,
about the pictures…are they yours? I would be interested in contacting the photographer for possible publishing.
Best regards,
Anna
Thanks Adam and Erin for your comments!
To update everyone, there was a shooting at a gay youth center in Tel Aviv yesterday, the first of its kind (http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1104506.html). The tragedy underscores that while Israel may be a liberal place for the GLBTQ community in comparative terms, there is still vehement opposition to those fighting for civil rights, including among members of the ultra-orthodox Shas party in the Knesset. In a sobering and tragic way, it highlights (again) the importance of the pride parade in Jerusalem.
Great post. This exemplifies the real reason Pride parades need to continue to happen throughout the world. Kudos to those GLBTQ people in Jerusalem fighting for their rights (and a special thanks to their allies as well).
Fantastic post.
It reminds me a lot of what a friend told me about what it’s like to attend Pride in Salt Lake City. The marginalization (ostracization, alienation, isolation…) of the gay community is heightened in areas of intense religious conservatism, but so is the focus on the fundamental issue of the celebration–that this is civil rights, and not just an argument about sex.