Tel Aviv Gay Pride has become well-known around the world over the past
few years for the successful events held in the city and this year
organizers are trying to spread the pride around the country with a week
of events at the beginning of June under the banner "Pride Flags
Countrywide."
Though the central events will all take place in
Tel Aviv, everyone in the country should be able to walk the streets
with pride, the Tel Aviv mayor's advisor on Gay Community Affairs
explained Wednesday at a colorful press conference.
"The message
that we chose this year actually casts spotlight outside the city, on
the periphery and the periphery's connection with Tel Aviv-Jaffa as
Israel's secular and gay capital," Yaniv Weizman, who is also a member
of the City Council, told reporters in Tel Aviv. "Most of the gays,
lesbians and transgenders who currently live in Tel Aviv were not born
in the city and have strengthened our pride by coming from all over the
country."
The main event, The Gay Pride March, will begin at 10
a.m. on Friday, June 8, with a community happening at Meir Park with
musical performances, celebrity appearances and speeches by public
figures such as Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai and Meretz MK Nitzan Horowitz.
The
parade itself will begin at 1 p.m. and will include a procession of
floats and organized groups of marchers who will be accompanied by
thousands of supporters waving pride flags and enjoying the fine summer
weather. The parade will leave Meir Park, travel down Bugrashov Street
then pass through Ben Yehuda Street onto Arlozorov Street, ending with a
beach party at Gordon Beach starting at 3 p.m. Appearing on the central
stage at Gordon Beach will be some of Tel Aviv's top DJs including
Offer Nissim, Tal Cohen and Avihai Partok. Internationally recognized
Israeli musicians Ivri Lider and Jonny Goldstein, the two main members
of the pop-dance group The Young Professionals, will be hosting Uriel
Yekutiel on stage.
Last year
an estimated 100,000 people took part in the parade, carrying colorful
banners calling for equality under the banner “Being gay is ‘shaveh’
[worthwhile/ equal]. Organizers expect similar numbers this year.
Thousands
of tourists are expected to arrive in Tel Aviv for the celebrations,
which will kick off a week before the main parade. From June 1 till June
7, Hilton Beach will be decorated with gay pride flags and chill out
music will entertain locals and tourists alike. The beach, which is
popular among the local gay community, will host some of the city's
leading clubs between midday and sunset everyday that week.
For
those who want the full lowdown of all the up-to-date events, a brochure
in Hebrew and English outlining the different Gay Pride Week events
will be distributed on the beach.
Organizers promised a number of
colorful surprises in the lead up to the main event. On Tuesday, a
pedestrian crossing near the Habima theater was painted in the colors of
the gay pride rainbow flags. The colorful crossing was quickly painted
white again, not because of opposition to the move, but simply because
it posed a safety hazard, Weizman explained.
For
those looking for something a little more cultured to get in the mood
before the big parties begin, there will be a cultural festival held at
Tel Aviv's Pride Center between May 25 and June 7. The festival will
include theater and dance performances as well as lectures on topics
such as BDSM, gay politics and gay surrogacy. The festival, which is
backed by the Ministry of Culture and Sports, will include exhibitions
and galleries featuring works by leading gay artists from Israel.
If
the build-up events and the parade itself weren't enough, the pride
festivities will continue when the 7th Tel Aviv LGBT International Film
Festival comes to town between June 9-16. The festival will feature some
of the most cutting edge gay and lesbian cinema from Israel and abroad (
www.tlvfest.com)
For more information on all the upcoming events see www.telavivgayvibe.com