Gay Israelis hold rally in Jerusalem

[bemildred]

sraeli gays braved vehement opposition from religious fundamentalists and held a large rally Friday in Jerusalem, complete with live rock music, dancing, and declarations of pride.

The event, originally planned as a march through the city, was held behind fences at a university sports stadium on the holy city's outskirts after organizers bowed to police fears of violent protests by ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Nearly 4,000 revelers flocked to the stadium, about the same number as attended last year's gay pride march in the city, where Jewish, Muslim, and Christian opposition to such events runs high.

Most participants were dressed in regular street clothes, making it a far more staid affair than gay pride events in the more permissive city of Tel Aviv, although one bearded man sported the black hat and jacket usually worn by ultra-Orthodox men, but with a magenta-colored taffeta skirt and candy-striped tights.

Advocate

[Scurrilous]

1. Olmert: Israel must learn tolerance

After gay pride parade passes without incident Friday, prime minister expresses satisfaction, but adds: Israeli society must learn to accept people’s right to express themselves with tolerance and naturalness

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3326861,00.html

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"Prime Minister Ehud Olmert expressed on Saturday evening his satisfaction with the calm outcome of the controversial gay pride events in Jerusalem. "Israeli society must learn to accept people’s right to express themselves with tolerance and naturalness," Olmert said. "I hope it will be so in the future as well."

Simultaneously, Olmert harshly condemned theincidents of violence over the past week involving activists on both sides of the issue.

The gay pride events took place on Friday at the Givat Ram campus stadium in the capital, as an enclosed rally. Almost 10,000 people took part in the festivities – including the prime minister’s own daughter Dana Olmert – following weeks of public turmoil over the event.

Originally, the event was supposed to entail a festive parade concluding in a rally, but in light of the sensitive security situation and non-stop threats from the ultra-Orthodox sector to attack marchers, the organizers decided to make do with an enclosed even at the university stadium."