Israeli Pride: The LGBT Push for Global Tolerance
JERUSALEM - With all of the debate in the United States over DADT and same-sex marriage, Israel is taking a different approach…WITH PRIDE: It is recruiting gays and lesbians as unofficial envoys in their country.
In an effort to boost its Gay-friendly global reputation, the country’s ministry of Public Diplomacy and Diaspora Affairs has established a cadre of diverse volunteers who speak about Israel around the world.
In a recent post on its website, the ministry encouraged minorities and members of the gay community to step forward.
Ministry spokesman Gal Ilan said Thursday that the goal was to highlight Israel’s diversity. He said when people think about Israel, the gay community is often overlooked.
There are no details yet on how many people have volunteered, but The Bianchi Cafe’ will continue to minitor these events.
Israel has recently been promoting itself as a gay friendly oasis in an intolerant Middle East, where being LGBT can mean a Death Sentence.
