Coalition of LGBTQ organizations compiles extensive policy proposal

Organizations proposed to amend or legislate 15 specific LBGTQ-related laws, including a ban on "conversion therapy" for minors.

Jerusalem Pride Parade 2021 (photo credit: TZVI JOFFRE)
Jerusalem Pride Parade 2021
(photo credit: TZVI JOFFRE)
 A coalition of 18 organizations within the LGBTQ community launched a "Road Map" for LGBTQ rights in Israel. The plan includes updates and detailed plans for improving the community's rights in all walks of life.
The plan was sent to Knesset members and to government ministers.
The organizations proposed to amend or legislate 15 specific LBGTQ-related laws. These include a ban on "conversion therapy" for minors, a law that regulates the recognition and compensation for victims of hate crimes, a law that prohibits discrimination in housing – and a list of legislative amendments aimed at resolving the community's fertility and parenthood rights once and for all, including amendments to surrogacy laws, adoption, egg donation and civil registration.
The organizations demanded an annual budget of NIS 150 million in order to strengthen and develop social, medical, occupational, educational, communal and informational services that will focus on LGBTQ from weakened groups such as the Arab and haredi (ultra-Orthodox) sectors, people on the transsexual spectrum and seniors. The plan also includes a variety of policy proposals that do not necessarily involve legislation.
For example, the coalition proposed that the Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services, Health, and Justice ministers (Meir Cohen, Nitzan Horovitz, and Gideon Sa'ar, respectively) work to implement the suggestions of an inter-ministerial team for the advancement of the transsexual community that was set up by their predecessors. These suggestions include eliminating barriers to the activity of the Health Ministry's committee for gender adaption, developing occupational training and assignment systems for people on the transsexual spectrum, and holding organized training sessions for state employees and relevant service providers.
The coalition proposed that Education Minister Yifat Shasha-Biton increase the budget for training students and staff members on the topic of education to tolerance and to direct the pedagogic secretariat to include professional and factual references to LGBTQ in school class curriculums (such as in civics, sociology, history, etc.). In addition, Shasha-Biton was asked to push for the acceptance of a circular letter that will regulate the treatment and response of the educational teams to typical challenges that LGBTQ students face every day. 
The coalition suggested that Meirav Cohen, the Social Equality and Pensioners minister, anchor the government's support in municipal LGBTQ communities to the budget base, so that municipalities will not be dependent on the availability of coalition funds, which is what is happening now.   
The coalition also presented three concrete actions, in three main fields: Relieving and assisting transsexuals in the process of gender adaption and dealings with the Health Ministry, adopting a national plan to eradicate HIV, and opening training programs for professionals in LGBT related topics.