- Title: ISRAEL: Tourists and residents prepare for Gay Pride parade in Tel Aviv
- Date: 8th June 2012
- Summary: TEL AVIV, ISRAEL (JUNE 7, 2012) (REUTERS) PEOPLE AT SHOPPING MALL IN TEL AVIV KHADER YOUSIF ARAB ISRAELI HOMOSEXUAL IN TEL AVIV MALL (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) KHADER YOUSIF, ARAB ISRAELI HOMOSEXUAL SAYING: "I should fight for my beliefs and introduce my beliefs by joining the Gay Pride, where I can introduce myself, where I am from and who I belong to." KHADER WORKING ON P
- Embargoed: 23rd June 2012 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Israel
- Country: Israel
- Topics: Arts / Culture / Entertainment / Showbiz,Domestic Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA28NZGMIO76YDLMYBL7B8H4LWD
- Story Text: Hundreds of gay men and women from Tel Aviv prepared for the start of Israel's Gay Pride parade on Thursday (June 7).
The annual event has attracted party-goers from all over the world, who have been arriving in the Israeli capital ahead of Friday's (June 8) events and celebrations.
Tel Aviv, named Gay Capital of the world in 2011 by an American Airlines and GayCities.com poll, was decorated with rainbow flags ahead of tomorrow's celebrations. The rainbow flag is universally know as a sign of tolerance towards the gay community.
Khader Yousif, an Israeli Arab who lives with his partner in Tel Aviv is looking to join the party for the first time this year.
"I should fight for my beliefs and introduce my beliefs by joining the Gay Pride, where I can introduce myself, where I am from and who I belong to," Yousif said while making posters for the parade.
Organisers of this year's parade are very happy with the expected turn out,
"This year what is really exciting for us Tel Avivians, that we are having allot of tourists coming from all over the world to join us in pride event and you can see right here behind me Tel Aviv pride beach which is full of tourists that they have just arrived to Tel Aviv and came directly from their hotels to celebrate pride before the parade tomorrow," said Adeer Stiner, from Tel Aviv's municipality and coordinator of the event.
Israel does not recognise gay marriage, but has taken some steps toward gay rights.
Reforms for legitimising the lesbian and gay movement in Israel started in the 1990s, with the establishment of new laws and the ending of discriminatory rules in the military in 1993. In 2000, the age of consent was lowered to 16. Israel's Supreme Court ordered the government in 2006 to recognize same sex marriages that were performed abroad, giving same sex couples tax breaks and other benefits. In 2008, Israel's Attorney General ruled that same sex couples will be able to adopt a child who is unrelated to the couple.
However, anti-gay sentiments are still very common in the Ultra-Orthodox Jewish community, and past attempts to hold a pride parade in the city of Jerusalem were met with continuing attempts to block the event in court, and violent incidents weeks before and during the parades.
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