Tel Aviv Pride (Hebrew: מצעד הגאווה בתל אביב, Arabic: فخر تل أبيب) is a week-long series of events in Tel Aviv which takes place on the second week of June, as part of the international observance of Gay Pride Month. The key event, taking place on the Friday, is the Pride Parade itself which attracts over 250,000 attendees.[2] As of June 2019, it is the largest LGBT Parade in Asia.[3]
Gay rights in Israel have progressed drastically since the years following the British Mandate over Palestine, when homosexuality was outlawed. The clause stated that “every man who allowed another man to have intercourse with him risked up to ten years of imprisonment.”[4] In the 1960s, the Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs, Dr. Yosef Burg, described the phrase of "homosexual Jews" as an oxymoron given the biblical rejection of queer behavior.[4] This provides a framework for the negative perceptions of homosexuality amongst Israeli politicians in the past. The legal code in Israel that once outlawed homosexuality was changed on March 22, 1988, effectively decriminalizing being gay.[5]
Pride ParadeEdit
The first event that many consider to be the first 'Pride' event to take place in Israel was a protest in 1979 at Kings of Israel Square. The first time that the Tel Aviv Pride Parade took place was in 1993.[6]
The parade assembles and begins at Meir Park, then travels along Bugrashov Street, Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Boulevard, and culminates in a party in Charles Clore Park on the seafront. There were 200,000 participants reported in 2016, making it one of the largest in the world.[7] The parade is the biggest pride celebration in continental Asia, drawing more than 200,000 people in 2017, approximately 30,000 of them tourists.[8] There were more than 250,000 participants reported in both 2018 and 2019.[9][10][11] As of June 2019, it is the largest LGBTQ event in Asia and also the first city in Israel to host a Pride parade. [6] Smaller annual pride parades are also held in Jerusalem, Haifa and Be'er Sheva.
As a part of Tel Aviv cultureEdit
Tel Aviv Pride 2010Tel Aviv Pride 2015. Bograshov St.
In the early years of the Pride Parade, the majority of participants were politically motivated. Later on, as the Parade grew, people who took part came with the notion that the Parade should focus on LGBT rights, equality and equal representation, and should not be used as a stage for radical politics, which are not accepted by most of the Parade's participants. Gradually, the Parade came to be less political due to the scale and diversity of participation. In recent years, the Parade's reputation for inclusiveness, along with Tel Aviv's world-class status as a gay-friendly destination and a top party city,[12] has attracted more than 100,000 participants, many of them from around the world.
By 2000, the Parade had evolved from being a political demonstration and became more of a social-entertainment event and street celebration.
The eleventh Tel Aviv Pride Parade, which took place in 2008, was accompanied by the opening of the LGBT Centre in Tel Aviv. This is the first municipal gay centre in Israel, whose purpose is to provide services specifically for members of the city's LGBT community such as health care, cultural events, meetings of different LGBT groups, a coffee shop, and many others.
During the 2009 Pride Parade, which coincided with the centennial celebration of Tel Aviv's historic establishment as a city, five same-sex couples got married in what was called "the wedding of the century" by the Israeli celebrity Gal Uchovsky.
The parade on 10 June 2011 grew to an estimated 100,000 participants and included official representatives of LGBT groups from global companies such as Google and Microsoft. (Tel Aviv boasts one of the largest concentrations of hi-tech companies of any city in the world.)[13][dubious – discuss]
In 2012, the parade attracted crowds exceeding 100,000, making it again the largest gay pride event in the Middle East and Asia. The event is advertised all around the world by the Israeli Tourism Ministry, marking the city of Tel Aviv as "the" premiere LGBT tourism destination.[14]
For 2014, with an anticipated parade attendance of 150,000, a decision was made to move the after-parade beach party from Gordon Beach to Charles Clore Park. The event was hosted by Israeli actress/supermodel Moran Attias, with performances by Dana International, Mei Feingold, and Ninet.
In 2022 pride activists from the sustainability movement begin working on making the Middle East's largest pride parade more ecologically responsible. [15]
Criticism of the ParadeEdit
In Israel, LGBT activist groups have also criticized the Ministry of Tourism for disproportionately allocating funds to LGBT tourism as opposed to the real LGBT activist organizations.[4] In 2016, the Ministry of Tourism spent $3 million on a campaign that concluded with a press release advertising a rainbow adorned airplane that the Ministry was going to use to transport gay bloggers and journalists to Israel.[16] Meanwhile, Israeli LGBT organizations only receive one tenth of the amount budgeted for this advertisement on a yearly basis.[4] This disproportionate spending angered leaders of the LGBT organizations and caused Chen Arieli and Imri Kalman, who were the co-chairs of The Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force, to threaten to cancel the parade.[4] The parade still took place that year, but the main outcome of this threat was that the Ministry of Tourism suspended its budget to attract gay tourism and added separate items to its budget for the LGBT organizations.[17]
Support for the ParadeEdit
Proponents of the Pride Parade argue that it is an effective mechanism of integrating the LGBTQIA community into Israeli society.[2] While the parade could have resulted in increased homophobia and anti-gay sentiment, it has fostered positive intergroup relationships.[2] The parade is also supported financially and logistically by the Tel Aviv City Hall. This was the outcome of consistent requests made by Aguda, Israel's LGBT Task Force, in the first five years of the parade's existence.[2]
^Yaron, Lee (June 14, 2019). "250,000 March in Largest-ever Tel Aviv Pride Parade". Haaretz.
^ abcdKama, Amit (April 4, 2000). "From Terra Incognita to Terra Firma". Journal of Homosexuality. 38 (4): 133–162. doi:10.1300/j082v38n04_06. ISSN 0091-8369. PMID 10807031. S2CID 42818506.
^"Pride 2019: The world's 15 biggest LGBTQ celebrations, from New York to Tel Aviv". USA Today Travel. June 10, 2019. Retrieved July 8, 2019.
^ abcdeLu, Nancy (June 2018). "Third Place — A Critical Examination of Israeli LGBT Advancements: Genuine Progress or Attempts at Elevated Global Status?". The Yale Review of International Studies.
^Ben-Porat, Guy; Turner, Bryan S. (May 24, 2011). The Contradictions of Israeli Citizenship: Land, Religion and State. Taylor & Francis. ISBN9781136727382.
^ abStelder, Mikki (August 20, 2017). "'From the closet into the Knesset': Zionist sexual politics and the formation of settler subjectivity". Settler Colonial Studies. 8 (4): 442–463. doi:10.1080/2201473x.2017.1361885.
^"200,000 crowd Tel Aviv streets for annual pride parade". Times of Israel. Retrieved September 5, 2016.
^"Over 200,000 attend Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade, some 30,000 from abroad". The Times of Israel. June 9, 2017. Retrieved July 29, 2017.
^"Tel Aviv pride parade draws 250,000 Israelis, foreigners". NBC News. June 8, 2018.
^"Third Place — A Critical Examination of Israeli LGBT Advancements: Genuine Progress or Attempts at Elevated Global Status? | The Yale Review of International Studies". June 3, 2018. Retrieved December 6, 2018.
External linksEdit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gay Pride in Tel Aviv-Yafo.
Toi Staff, Over 250,000 revelers flood Tel Aviv for Israel’s biggest ever Gay Pride parade, The Times of Israel, June 8, 2018
Information regarding Tel Aviv Pride on Gay Tel Aviv Website.
aviv, pride, hebrew, מצעד, הגאווה, בתל, אביב, arabic, فخر, تل, أبيب, week, long, series, events, aviv, which, takes, place, second, week, june, part, international, observance, pride, month, event, taking, place, friday, pride, parade, itself, which, attracts,. Tel Aviv Pride Hebrew מצעד הגאווה בתל אביב Arabic فخر تل أبيب is a week long series of events in Tel Aviv which takes place on the second week of June as part of the international observance of Gay Pride Month The key event taking place on the Friday is the Pride Parade itself which attracts over 250 000 attendees 2 As of June 2019 it is the largest LGBT Parade in Asia 3 Tel Aviv PrideFrequencyAnnuallyLocation s Tel AvivCountryIsraelInaugurated1979 1979 ParticipantsMore than 250 000 people 2019 1 Contents 1 Historical background 1 1 Pride Parade 2 As a part of Tel Aviv culture 3 Criticism of the Parade 4 Support for the Parade 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksHistorical background EditGay rights in Israel have progressed drastically since the years following the British Mandate over Palestine when homosexuality was outlawed The clause stated that every man who allowed another man to have intercourse with him risked up to ten years of imprisonment 4 In the 1960s the Israeli Minister of Internal Affairs Dr Yosef Burg described the phrase of homosexual Jews as an oxymoron given the biblical rejection of queer behavior 4 This provides a framework for the negative perceptions of homosexuality amongst Israeli politicians in the past The legal code in Israel that once outlawed homosexuality was changed on March 22 1988 effectively decriminalizing being gay 5 Pride Parade Edit The first event that many consider to be the first Pride event to take place in Israel was a protest in 1979 at Kings of Israel Square The first time that the Tel Aviv Pride Parade took place was in 1993 6 The parade assembles and begins at Meir Park then travels along Bugrashov Street Ben Yehuda Street and Ben Gurion Boulevard and culminates in a party in Charles Clore Park on the seafront There were 200 000 participants reported in 2016 making it one of the largest in the world 7 The parade is the biggest pride celebration in continental Asia drawing more than 200 000 people in 2017 approximately 30 000 of them tourists 8 There were more than 250 000 participants reported in both 2018 and 2019 9 10 11 As of June 2019 it is the largest LGBTQ event in Asia and also the first city in Israel to host a Pride parade 6 Smaller annual pride parades are also held in Jerusalem Haifa and Be er Sheva As a part of Tel Aviv culture Edit nbsp Tel Aviv Pride 2010 nbsp Tel Aviv Pride 2015 Bograshov St In the early years of the Pride Parade the majority of participants were politically motivated Later on as the Parade grew people who took part came with the notion that the Parade should focus on LGBT rights equality and equal representation and should not be used as a stage for radical politics which are not accepted by most of the Parade s participants Gradually the Parade came to be less political due to the scale and diversity of participation In recent years the Parade s reputation for inclusiveness along with Tel Aviv s world class status as a gay friendly destination and a top party city 12 has attracted more than 100 000 participants many of them from around the world By 2000 the Parade had evolved from being a political demonstration and became more of a social entertainment event and street celebration The eleventh Tel Aviv Pride Parade which took place in 2008 was accompanied by the opening of the LGBT Centre in Tel Aviv This is the first municipal gay centre in Israel whose purpose is to provide services specifically for members of the city s LGBT community such as health care cultural events meetings of different LGBT groups a coffee shop and many others During the 2009 Pride Parade which coincided with the centennial celebration of Tel Aviv s historic establishment as a city five same sex couples got married in what was called the wedding of the century by the Israeli celebrity Gal Uchovsky The parade on 10 June 2011 grew to an estimated 100 000 participants and included official representatives of LGBT groups from global companies such as Google and Microsoft Tel Aviv boasts one of the largest concentrations of hi tech companies of any city in the world 13 dubious discuss In 2012 the parade attracted crowds exceeding 100 000 making it again the largest gay pride event in the Middle East and Asia The event is advertised all around the world by the Israeli Tourism Ministry marking the city of Tel Aviv as the premiere LGBT tourism destination 14 For 2014 with an anticipated parade attendance of 150 000 a decision was made to move the after parade beach party from Gordon Beach to Charles Clore Park The event was hosted by Israeli actress supermodel Moran Attias with performances by Dana International Mei Feingold and Ninet In 2022 pride activists from the sustainability movement begin working on making the Middle East s largest pride parade more ecologically responsible 15 Criticism of the Parade EditIn Israel LGBT activist groups have also criticized the Ministry of Tourism for disproportionately allocating funds to LGBT tourism as opposed to the real LGBT activist organizations 4 In 2016 the Ministry of Tourism spent 3 million on a campaign that concluded with a press release advertising a rainbow adorned airplane that the Ministry was going to use to transport gay bloggers and journalists to Israel 16 Meanwhile Israeli LGBT organizations only receive one tenth of the amount budgeted for this advertisement on a yearly basis 4 This disproportionate spending angered leaders of the LGBT organizations and caused Chen Arieli and Imri Kalman who were the co chairs of The Aguda Israel s LGBT Task Force to threaten to cancel the parade 4 The parade still took place that year but the main outcome of this threat was that the Ministry of Tourism suspended its budget to attract gay tourism and added separate items to its budget for the LGBT organizations 17 Support for the Parade EditProponents of the Pride Parade argue that it is an effective mechanism of integrating the LGBTQIA community into Israeli society 2 While the parade could have resulted in increased homophobia and anti gay sentiment it has fostered positive intergroup relationships 2 The parade is also supported financially and logistically by the Tel Aviv City Hall This was the outcome of consistent requests made by Aguda Israel s LGBT Task Force in the first five years of the parade s existence 2 See also EditLGBT rights in Israel LGBT history in Israel TLVFest LGBT Film Festival Jerusalem gay pride parade Haifa PrideReferences Edit Yaron Lee June 14 2019 250 000 March in Largest ever Tel Aviv Pride Parade Haaretz a b c d Kama Amit April 4 2000 From Terra Incognita to Terra Firma Journal of Homosexuality 38 4 133 162 doi 10 1300 j082v38n04 06 ISSN 0091 8369 PMID 10807031 S2CID 42818506 Pride 2019 The world s 15 biggest LGBTQ celebrations from New York to Tel Aviv USA Today Travel June 10 2019 Retrieved July 8 2019 a b c d e Lu Nancy June 2018 Third Place A Critical Examination of Israeli LGBT Advancements Genuine Progress or Attempts at Elevated Global Status The Yale Review of International Studies Ben Porat Guy Turner Bryan S May 24 2011 The Contradictions of Israeli Citizenship Land Religion and State Taylor amp Francis ISBN 9781136727382 a b Stelder Mikki August 20 2017 From the closet into the Knesset Zionist sexual politics and the formation of settler subjectivity Settler Colonial Studies 8 4 442 463 doi 10 1080 2201473x 2017 1361885 200 000 crowd Tel Aviv streets for annual pride parade Times of Israel Retrieved September 5 2016 Over 200 000 attend Tel Aviv Gay Pride Parade some 30 000 from abroad The Times of Israel June 9 2017 Retrieved July 29 2017 Tel Aviv pride parade draws 250 000 Israelis foreigners NBC News June 8 2018 i24NEWS www i24news tv Tel Aviv Pride Parade held with 250 000 attendants celebrating LGBTQ The Jerusalem Post JPost com Zohar Gil June 5 2012 TA in world s 10 best party towns city breaks into Lonely Planet guide Jerusalem Post Retrieved August 27 2014 Levy Stephen Matt Rees November 9 1998 Focus on Technology The Hot New Tech Cities Newsweek JPost com Staff January 11 2012 Huldai proud of Tel Aviv winning best gay city of 2011 Jerusalem Post Retrieved August 27 2014 Greening the pride parade Tel Aviv Green Prophet June 6 2022 Gilly Hartal September 17 2018 Re Reading Homonationalism An Israeli Spatial Perspective Journal of Homosexuality 65 10 1391 1414 doi 10 1080 00918369 2017 1375364 PMID 28901841 S2CID 33715449 Third Place A Critical Examination of Israeli LGBT Advancements Genuine Progress or Attempts at Elevated Global Status The Yale Review of International Studies June 3 2018 Retrieved December 6 2018 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Gay Pride in Tel Aviv Yafo Toi Staff Over 250 000 revelers flood Tel Aviv for Israel s biggest ever Gay Pride parade The Times of Israel June 8 2018 Information regarding Tel Aviv Pride on Gay Tel Aviv Website Portals nbsp Israel nbsp LGBT Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tel Aviv Pride amp oldid 1160343421, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
