What Middle Eastern city held today a gay pride parade attended by thousands and protected by the municipal police? No, not Riyadh.
Today marked the 11th annual gay pride parade in Tel Aviv as the streets filled with supporters and activists attempting to express support for the Israeli gay community. Parade attendees decorated floats and flew flags supporting their cause while marching down Tel Aviv streets. A few couples even held a symbolic marriage ceremony at the culmination of the parade. Protesting the event, small groups from the ultra-orthodox Jewish community also rallied due to their opposition to homosexuality, although they remained largely ignored and unnoticed at the event. The ultra-orthodox community previously worked to prevent the organization of a similar event in Jerusalem, a city considered holy by three faiths with a high population of religious residents.
No other country in the Middle East would even legitimately contemplate permitting the public expression of support for a community that some ultra-religious activists claim conflicts with the faith. Similarly, some Middle Eastern countries even forbid this type of speech and assembly. Regardless of Israel’s stance on gay marriage, the government’s protection of the parade and counter protesters exemplify the depth of Israeli democracy. While many analysts question Israel’s legitimacy as both a religious and democratic country, today represented another milestone in Israeli attempts to preserve free speech, a critical democratic principle.
