The official Twitter account of Israel has responded after a woman shared a picture of two soldiers kissing and said, "Israel is gay." The woman, identified as Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis, also shared another picture of a soldier holding an Israeli flag with pride colours.
Replying to the post, Israel wrote, ''Some of us are! And if this is your way of trying to score an invite to Tel Aviv Pride, the answer is no.''
See the tweet here:
The post has gone viral, attracting a lot of varied reactions. Many users rebuked Dr. Loupis for making the homophobic comment and praised Israel for being progressive and supporting the LGBT community. Others also said that Israel is one of the most inclusive societies in the world for the LGBT community.
One user reacted to the post and wrote, ''Thank you for showing how advanced our democracy is. Where human rights are being honored and protected.'' Another commented, ''Yeah dude, we believe in equal rights for all. Do you have a problem with that?''
A third added, ''You do know that we do not consider that as an insult, right?'' A fourth wrote, ''You say it as if it's a bad thing.''
In June this year, more than 150,000 revelers marched in the 25th annual Tel Aviv Pride Parade, as per Times Of Israel. The first annual Gay Pride Parade in Tel Aviv was celebrated in 1998. Since 2002, pride parades have been celebrated in the streets of Jerusalem and other cities throughout Israel. As of June 2019, it is the largest LGBTQ event in Asia.
According to the Times Of Israel, the country is known as a gay haven in the Middle East, and Tel Aviv is frequently cited as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world. Even though same-sex marriage is not legal in Israel, the country recognises the marriages of same-sex couples who wed abroad. Further, LGBT couples in Israel have the same pension, inheritance, and medical rights as
heterosexual couples.
Though LGBT people live openly and freely in the country, homophobic attitudes prevail in some traditional communities.
