We are the LGBTQ community in Israel Why does Israel's LGBTQ community still not have equal rights? Well, it's complicated. First of all, in Israel, unlike in the United States for instance, there is no constitution to ensure basic civil rights, and religion and state are not fully divided. Secondly, politicians and pressure groups representing conservative communities are in the Knesset and the government working against us, preventing us from achieving equality. In addition, Israel is a young country, which since its establishment has been struggling with a violent and complex political reality, so that the military and security agendas often push issues of civil rights for LGBTQ people aside, deeming them "less urgent". Despite these continuous challenges, we can certainly and proudly say that thanks to incredible persistence and hard work on the part of LGBTQ organizations, the struggle for LGBTQ equality in Israel has reached unprecedented achievements over the last four decades, as can be seen in the following timeline: 1988 Abolition of the prohibition that made homosexual acts a crime.

1992 The Knesset approves the first law prohibiting based on What does the future 1994 Verdict mandates equal benefits for same-sex in the workplace hold? We have achieved a lot in three decades, but there's still a long 1998 First large-scale held in Tel Aviv way to go on the path towards equality. LGBTQ-phobia is still a severe problem in Israeli society. Politicians, religious officials and educators continue to incite hatred for the LGBTQ community on 2002 First Pride and Tolerance parade held in Jerusalem a regular basis. In cases such as the murder at the "Bar-Noar" (a club for LGBTQ teenagers) in 2009 and the murder at the pride and 2005 For the first time, the Supreme Court acknowledges tolerance parade in Jerusalem, LGBTQ-phobia exacted the greatest adoption of child by LGBTQ partners price of all – human lives. Fourteen LGBTQ organizations work together and continue the public struggle while focusing on a few shared goals: 2006 Supreme Court requires authorities to register marriages for same sex couples held overseas 1. Fighting LGBTQ-phobia: • Outlawing "conversion" therapy • Implementing LGBTQ inclusive materials within the school 2010 Supreme Court rules that discrimination against the curriculums LGBTQ community in allocating municipal resources is • Adopting internal procedures for addressing needs of LGBTQ prohibited and dishonors human dignity youth in the education system

2. Recognition family and parental rights: 2014 The Knesset approves an amendment to the Students' • Regulation of civilian marriage for LGBTQ couples Rights Law, prohibiting gender-identity-based • Removing discrimination from the Adoption and Surrogacy discrimination for the first time Laws • Equalizing registration procedures for LGBTQ parents to heterosexual procedures 2016 The Ministry of Finance increases annual budgets allocated to the LGBTQ community from NIS 2 million to 3. Responding to the needs of the trans community 11 million • Changing the national census gender question based on individual declaration • Systematic response to the severe discrimination against For the first time in Israel's history, a mass LGBTQ 2018 individuals in the work and housing markets protest brings 100,000 people to the streets, including • Full financing of gender reassignment procedures as part of the 7,000 protesting against trans-phobic violence, recruiting national health-care program hundreds of organizations and business to a solidarity protest *This timeline is a sample of major milestones during the past 45-years and is not a complete history of achievements. Tehila The Aguda Tehila is a registered non-profit organization, run ‘The Aguda’ - The (per year). by volunteers, and all activities are conducted Association for LGBTQ • Connect the LGBTQ by volunteers, provides support by parents, Equality in Israel is struggle to the Municipal for parents who have children in the LGBTQ a pioneer among the arena - We supported community. LGBTQ organizations over 40 cities in Israel Tehila supports parents and families of , in Israel. It promotes in the planning and men, transgender persons and bisexuals. human rights and execution of their local represents the LGBTQ pride events in the Main activities: community with the summer of 2019. purpose of improving • Lead the largest Support groups: Tehila offers groups for parents its legal and social protest of the LGBTQ throughout the country, including special groups status, transforming it community in Israel: for the religious sector and parents of transgender to an integral part of In 2018 over 100,000 people. the Israeli society, with people protested to end Parents who have undergone special training equal rights. discrimination against serve as group moderators. the LGBTQ community. Group sessions provide parents of LGBTQ In recent years years we individuals a unique opportunity to meet, share have succeeded to: “The Aguda” serves as thoughts, emotions and deliberations, and give • Set up a forum of the a common platform and receive support; they are not alone. executive directors of all for each organization, LGBQQ organizations, group, or individual • TEHILA promotes equality for all and which allows us to interested in the LGBTQ acceptance of others in Israeli society deepen the relationships community – “since • TEHILA works together with other and partnerships together we can organizations, both within and outside the between them. influence more!”. LGBTQ commuinty. • Increase government CEO : Ohad Hizki support of the LGBTQ [email protected] Chair: Miri Bialer community from NIS 2.5 [email protected] million to NIS 11 million Israel AIDS Task Force (IATF) Israel AIDS Task Force optimal sexual health Founded in 1985, IATF is services, Provide sexual Israel’s only nationwide education services and nonprofit organization Promote LGBTQ health. working to halt the IATF’s current array spread of HIV/AIDS of services includes and other STIs in the anonymous rapid HIV country, while fostering testing along with other a supportive and STIs tests, mobile embracing environment outreach services for for people living with HIV groups at high risk, and promoting sexual educational workshops health as a basic right in high schools, junior for every human being. highs and other state IGY IATF's strategic goals institutions, free mental IGY is Israel’s national LGBTQ From its inception to the present are: Lead the call to health treatment and youth organization (, day, IGY is the only organization reach zero new HIV legal consultation for Gay, Bisexual, Trans, ), that works for LGBTQ youth infections within 10 individuals who live with empowering thousands of in Israel and in recent years years in Israel, Amplify HIV and their families participants each year between has grown to become the the voices of people and for drug users harm the ages of 12 to 23, to create a largest LGBTQ community who live with HIV and reduction services. leading role for themselves in a organizations in the country, fight social stigma more accepting society, while with over 320 volunteers and and discrimination, supporting their own over 4,000 youth members Advocate for ensuring CEO: Chen Shmilo understanding of sexual and/or and participants taking part in [email protected] . ongoing activities throughout the Founded in 2002, our nationwide year. network of volunteers and activities support the creation Liana Meirom Asif of safe spaces in an often [email protected] homophobic culture. Our work extends to all areas of Israel’s diverse society, including several support structures which focus on the very unique needs of LGBTQ youth in Israel’s Orthodox Jewish, Arab, and Ethiopian heritage communities respectively. and women, transgender people, parents of LGBTQ people and LGBTQ youth. The LGBTQ Relying exclusively on volunteers, the LGBTQ Pride House of Pride House Be'er Sheva and the South has managed to create a vibrant community and social life. The of Be'er Pride House is also responsible Bat-Kol for the largest pride parade in the south held annually in Be’er "Ever since my parents alienated Sheva Sheva. Even though Be'er Sheva me, Bat-Kol has been my only (Adi 29 Jerusalem) The LGBTQ Pride House of Be'er is a metropolis, the vast majority family" Sheva and the South has been of the population still holds anti- Bat-Kol is the only women's LGBTQ the leading organization and LGBTQ views. On top of that, NGO in Israel. Bat-Kol is the home community center for the LGBTQ despite gaining recognition of over 500 lesbian, bisexual, community in the southern from municipal authorities, trans and queer women of various district of Israel for more than 20 The Pride House receives little religious backgrounds. years. As the main organization to no financial aid from the Bat-Kol works in two main representing LGBTQ people living municipalities in the district. domains. The first, is the internal in southern Israel, The Pride The LGBTQ Pride House in domain, within the organization for House works to raise awareness Be'er Sheva and the South is the members of the organization, regarding LGBTQ rights in the currently looking to grow its main providing a safe place for women, area. In addition to providing the programs, to stabilize the future some of whom are in the closet or main platform for organizing of the center to ensure a home in the process of , by social groups and political events for the LGBTQ community in the running intimate group meetings, for the community, The Pride southern district. events throughout the year, a House is viewed by many as their weekend retreat (ShaBatKol) home. Additional activities in Board member: Arine Szybowski and more. The second domain, The Pride House include weekly [email protected] is public engagement, leading, and monthly gatherings and conceptual and constitutional support groups for queer men change for tolerance in Israeli society, and more specifically within the religious community as well as raising the awareness for LGBTQ rights. Our public work includes constant cooperation with other LGBTQ organizations and other women's rights movements and activists. CEO: Tehilla Atias Bassa [email protected] The for Pride and Tolerance

The Jerusalem Open Now in its 22nd year, the House for Pride JOH transcends political, with LGBTQ identity, through and Tolerance The ethnic and religious dialogue, Torah study, and Jerusalem Open House boundaries to create weekends together. Havruta is one of Israel's LGBTQ for Pride and Tolerance a safe, pluralistic and organizations, serving the (JOH) is a non-profit egalitarian Jerusalem Chair: Avichai Abarbanel organization, founded in that is welcoming for religious community. It focuses [email protected] on building a bridge between the 1997, with a community all of its inhabitants, religious and LGBTQ identities. center serving people of communities and Through our publications, all sexual orientations visitors, regardless of events, and public appearances, and gender identities. sexual orientation and we emphasize the integrity of While working to gender identity. the religious LGBTQ identity, secure LGBTQ rights in Israeli society at large, Chairperson: Eran Globus often denied by various ultra [email protected] conservative factions in Israel. our main focuses are We fight against conversion community building, therapies and employs social providing humanitarian groups all over the country, to services and promoting create unique environments for social change. orthodox Judaism combined to healthcare, welfare personnel, and IDF commanders. Every year, The Communities' House approximately 50,000 individuals take part in our activities. For Pride and Tolerance Hoshen is Israel’s LGBTQ education and information Hoshen operates all over Israel, center. Our mission is to raise works in cooperation with the awareness regarding issues government, is funded by the facing LGBTQ Israelis, while Ministries of Education and fighting stereotypes throughout Health, as well as Israeli donors Israel via comprehensive and and our dedicated board. Hoshen effective programming. Hoshen’s won the Knesset Speaker's Prize The Communities' House for programs focus on gender issues in 2016 - an honor which we are Pride and Tolerance Education and Public and sexual orientation to create grateful to have received. Since its opening in 2017, Awareness: as the Haifa municipality’s a cooperation with HOSHEN lasting social change that will community center for the Increasing LGBTQ awareness enable acceptance and equal opportunities for Israel’s LGBTQ CEO: Tamar Yahel LGBTQ communities in Haifa and visibility in various [email protected] and northern Israel. Our goal frameworks through: seminars, community. We believe that is to encourage a grassroots, information sessions and change begins by shifting the thriving and meaningful LGBTQ activities on a variety of attitudes of the general public, community through a diverse subjects for institutions, which can only be achieved response that meets the unique organizations and schools. through a process of discourse needs of the LGBTQ community and identification. Hoshen works through the circle of life. with 350 different institutions Healthy Living: annually, most of them schools, The Communities' House main A clinic for HIV and STD, a cooperation with the Israel AIDS conducting 1,700 workshops with programs: students and teachers, towards Community: Task Force and the Minister of Community resilience Health, Social workers services this aim. Our activities programs, Developing diverse and clinic for emotional therapy also extend community spaces such as: in cooperation with the Aguda’s social groups and monthly Psychosocial Services. Shabbat meals. Family and Relationships - Culture and social events support groups for parents of such as: Shows, lectures and LGBTQ children, led by Tehila, enrichment workshops. as well as activities preparing the members’ House for Youth: parenting, healthy relationship. In cooperation with IGY the open house provides 7 social CEO: Arnon Allouche groups including: Transgender [email protected] people, Arabs and Muslim, Christian and Jewish religious groups (ages 13-23) The TLV LGBTQ Sports Club The TLV LGBTQ Sports Club was established with the aim of bringing about social change. The Ma’avarim club’s goal is to establish various academic student scholarships social sports groups within the program with Microsoft, LGBTQ Community in Tel Aviv assisting 26 trans students and its surrounding. The club is Ma’avarim, is a trans-led graduate university. Ma’avarim a means of connecting LGBTQ NGO, and the largest trans has trained hundreds of doctors, individuals and shedding a light on rights knowledge center in educators, and therapists, and the Community's struggle against Israel, empowering the trans other agents of change, and LGBTQphobia and discrimination community. has successfully built trans in the sports arena. Being one of While trans people remain inclusion and diversity programs its kind in Israel, the Club believes one of the most marginalized with businesses, such as Intel. in combining a healthy lifestyle communities, the struggle for Ma’avarim promotes policy with a social environment for trans rights is at the forefront change, working with the Israeli the community. The club aspires of the LGBTQ movement. parliament, and ministry officals, to create safe space for LGBTQ Ma’avarim believes the existence with many accomplishments athletes within the club itself of trans and gender variant from the gender marker to and within the Israeli society at people challenges opressive suicide prevention. Last summer large. TLV LGBTQ Sports Club is perceptions about gender, Ma’avarim led the biggest trans the producer of Tel Aviv Games, creating a better world for march in Israel of 7,000 people a biannual international sports all: gay and straight, men and following the stabbing of a trans tournament and is a member of women, and all of those in woman in sex work. the Federation of Gay Games. between. Executive Director: Elisha Alexande Chairperson: Sagi Krispin Established in 2014, Ma’avarim [email protected] [email protected] supports hundreds of trans people and their families every year. Ma’avarim launched an The LGBTQ Center The LGBTQ+ Center all year round with is a home for the dozens of volunteers, queer community in community events, Tel Aviv. It provides a social gatherings and framework for LGBTQ more. life by promoting initiative, partnership, In the LGBTQ Center social involvement, we believe that and culture, and by change for the queer providing assistance community in Israel is and counseling only possible through services. an in-depth process The center aims to in which community bring together the members connect with mosaic elements that one another and with make up the LGBTQ the different groups community and the that make up our residents of the city of community. In so doing, Tel Aviv and to create the members of the a strong and solidary LGBTQ community will community, and serves strive for equality not as a magnet for LGBTQ only through protests people across the and demonstrantions, country. but rather all year long. We create a community

CEO: Avihu Meizan [email protected]