Over a thousand people march in Tel Aviv to defend LGBTQ lives

After the Friday attack of an LGBTQ youth outside Beit Dror hostel in Tel Aviv, the public march to defend human rights.

By MAARIV ONLINE
Pro-LGBTQ protest in Tel Aviv (photo credit: YUVAL BAGNO)
Pro-LGBTQ protest in Tel Aviv
(photo credit: YUVAL BAGNO)
Over a thousand people marched in Tel Aviv on Sunday under the banner of "fighting for our lives," The Jerusalem Post's Hebrew sister-publication Maariv reported. 
The protest took place after a 16-year-old youth was stabbed outside the Beit Dror hostel for LGBTQ teenagers by his brother, in what is widely seen as a hate crime.
 Arab-Israeli trans-activist Lila Blilat spoke about her own experiences, which included "conversion therapies" by religious leaders and even witches, at which point she escaped to Tel Aviv.
“I feel bad and sad that even in the place I escaped to… we still have to fight to be protected,” she said.
“Tel Aviv will not prevent the next child being hurt,” she said. “Today I shout: enough! We’re not talking targets or punching bags!”
Deputy-mayor of Tel-Aviv Hen Ariely, who is also a leading LGBTQ rights activist, said that, “a society that sees us as people who need to be “converted” doesn’t accept the plain fact that we are what we are and nothing can change that.”