Wandering In Tel Aviv With a Mustache

Channel Two news here had an interview exclusive:

Speaking this week to Israel’s Channel 2, the only Israeli news channel to get an exclusive interview with him, the president reiterated that all options were on the table. But he also seemed to imply he would rather come to Israel as a tourist. He told the news channel he wished he could “sit at a cafe and just hang out, wear a mustache, wander through Tel Aviv, meet with students at a university in an informal setting."
 

"Wandering in Tel Aviv"?

Tel Aviv crowned world’s Best Gay City

With a whopping 43 percent of votes, Tel Aviv has been crowned the world’s Best Gay City in an international contest run by American Airlines. New York was the runner-up with just 14% of votes.

Oops.

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This is Not Gay News

JPost is reporting of a rise in HIV cases among gay men here:

Among the 420 newly diagnosed cases of HIV in Israel in 2010, 148 of them were homosexual men, according to the Health Ministry, which is worried about the “dramatic increase” in infection among gay men. They constituted half of all men who were newly diagnosed.

The ministry released figures to mark World AIDS Day, December 1.

They were collected by Dr. Zohar Mor, adviser to the head of public health services for tuberculosis and AIDS in the Health Ministry, and the voluntary organization Hoshen. The figures were four times higher than the figures of HIV-infected men in 2000.

I hope this isn't a result of Israel's Hasbara campaign line, the one from an Israeli marketing campaign to create a positive, non-conflict image of democratic Israel, including gay life (which is being fought by Queers Against Apartheid) and the Tel Aviv tourism campaign launched last year to attract gay visitors, especially the parade, which has moved up also to Jerusalem.

And just after the NYTimes "pinkwashing" flareup ("pinkwashing"?  here).

Maybe it's better some gay conferences are cancelled.

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Gays To Go Behind The Black Screen

Jerusalem's Gay community (here) is having a parade tomorrow. It'll kick off from the Liberty Bell Park.

Jerusalem Pride will take place on June 25th (thursday)
Assembly at Gan HaPa´amon – 4PM
Beginning of march – 5PM
Rally at Gan HaAtzmaut- 6PM
Please note that this year´s route will be inverted
Map and traffic arrangements can be found here

Here are snapshots of the park, along King David Street towards Emeq Refaim Street. As you'll notice, the area is blocked off by black canvass material.







See no evil???

More Anti-Gay Parade