During the early afternoon of Friday, June 12, I was one among many people, gay, straight, and everything in between, who gathered in Tel Aviv, Israel to celebrate gay pride. But this year was different than past years. 2009 also marked the centennial celebration of Tel Aviv-Jaffa’s founding and tens of thousands of people from all over the world flooded the streets.
This year’s Pride was a colossal gathering of gayness that I’ve never experienced outside of the U.S. Not being too familiar with Israeli nor Tel Aviv culture, I was shocked to discover how massive the event was. It was the largest LGBT Pride Tel Aviv has ever had and the energy and liveliness of the event rivaled that of some of our largest Prides here in the U.S.
Known as “the bubble” because of its stark contrast to the surrounding regions, Tel Aviv is the economic, cultural, and financial center in Israel and it definitely lives up to its reputation as a 24/7 party city (and we all know that gays throw the best parties). The LGBT folks at Pride were mostly Israeli Jews but with substantial numbers of Arabs and foreign visitors like myself.
Although the crowds were not as diverse as you might see at NYC Pride, there was still representation of most groups within the LGBT community. There were drag queens, dykes on bikes, transgender groups, civil rights activists, bears (a relatively new and growing community), religious groups, heterosexual supporters, and, of course, the muscle boys (in Tel Aviv, they tend to be younger and with golden beach tans).
The weather on that Friday was hot and sunny, which is what the weather in Tel Aviv is like 300 days of the year, and the streets were busy with the hustle and bustle of people enjoying the weekend (in Israel, Fridays and Saturdays are the equivalent to our Saturday and Sunday weekend). That morning before the start of the parade, I attended the pre-parade Pride Fair at Meir Garden, one of many small gardens in the city and the location of the new LGBT Community Center. On my way there, I saw a very small group of right-wing, religious protestors near the entrance to the park across the street being blockaded by the police, and it should be noted that this was the only anti-gay presence I had seen during my entire week-long stay in Tel Aviv. Within the park, there were many booths that seemed to represent organizations and businesses catering to the LGBT community (although the exact details were lost to me since I don’t read Hebrew) and a stage that featured live dance, pop, and rock music. It was also where the parade started and where many of the marchers gathered.
At roughly 1:00pm, the parade started and I followed the bustling crowd under the blazing sun through the streets, many of which were narrow and caused some congestion and grinding of sweaty gay bodies. I expected there to be more police presence, but it was fairly minimal and the bystanders watching the parade were just as cheerful and lively as the marchers. There weren’t as many floats as I expected, but the event still felt like a spectacle.
One thing I noticed while I was marching was that the crowd was generally very young (20s to mid-30s) with healthy and athletic bodies. Although this is often the case with LGBT communities, it seemed that the Tel Aviv population in general live a younger and healthier lifestyle (I suspect that it must be the Mediterranean diet, required military service, beach-friendly weather, and the “live every day like it’s your last” lifestyle that comes with knowing that your country is surrounded by enemies).
Like many experiences in life, the parade ended with a most satisfying climax, the beach party at Gordon Beach, one of many beautiful beaches along the western coast of the city. This is what made Tel Aviv Pride so memorable for me. Standing on the plaza where the parade marchers disbanded and looking down at the beach below where thousands of people were celebrating pride was a surreal experience. There were so many people of all types and backgrounds and sexualities. And whether they were there to celebrate LGBT pride or to enjoy a fun beach party, they were simply enjoying life. I couldn’t resist and had to walk down there and be a part of it.
On the beach, there was a stage where a number of performances from various artists and musicians entertained the crowd. And at sunset, two gay male and three lesbian couples were married on the beach. It was the first of its kind, a public mass gay wedding, and it drew swarms of media outlets. Although Israel only recognizes civil unions and not gay marriages, this type of exposure is sure to bring the issue to the forefront again. The ceremony was performed according to Jewish marriage rites, with Hebrew vows and the traditional breaking of glass, and a handful of recognizable Israeli movers and shakers attended, including Ivri Lider (one of the largest-selling Israeli music artists), Gal Uchovsky (film producer and self-proclaimed head of the Israeli “gay mafia”), Nitzan Horowitz (an openly gay member of Knesset, the Israeli Parliament), and Ron Huldai (the current mayor of Tel Aviv).
Later that night and after a much needed shower, I attended the official after party, FFF at Haoman 17. Mobbed with local pretty boys of impressive but not too extreme musculature and a few of the ladies who love them, the club was thumping with your diva vocal music in one room and electro-house in the other room. And even though it felt familiar, like a large NYC Chelsea club complete with attitude and exorbitantly priced drinks, it was just different enough for you to remember where you were. After about three hours of nonstop dancing, I decided to leave at roughly 3:00AM, which is a bit early by Tel Aviv nightlife standards. My American sleep pattern could not keep up with those of Tel Aviv party people.
Celebrating gay pride can be exhausting, but after a day of recovery, I attended a lesbian pride party, TLV OMG at The Pink Elephant, with some co-workers. The bar seemed small at first but near the back is a doorway leading into a large outdoor bar and lounge. The DJ was amazing, the music sounded great, especially considering that it was an outdoor space, and the hundreds of women there were diverse and friendly. Even though the lesbian scene in Tel Aviv is nowhere near as prominent as the gay men’s scene, with parties like these, it won’t be too long before it catches up.
It’s also worth noting that Tel Aviv celebrates an entire month of LGBT Pride, and there were more events that I did not have time to attend including cultural panels, art exhibitions, film festivals, and of course, more parties.
The rest of my stay in Israel was just as memorable but in a different way. The Tel Aviv Pride events as well as just walking down the street watching same-sex couples hold hands and openly show affection, caught me off guard. Knowing that I was headed into the Middle East, I expected something more reserved and didn’t expect to feel so welcome and safe.
After witnessing this type of joyous celebration and lavish demonstration of LGBT pride, I can’t help but wonder, how can the city possibly top this? Well, it’s Tel Aviv. It’ll find a way.
