DATING THE STATE: THE MORAL HAZARDS OF WINNING GAY RIGHTS Katherine Franke* On August 1, 2009, a masked man dressed in black carrying an automatic weapon stormed into Beit Pazi in Tel Aviv, the home of the Aguda, the National Association of GLBT in Israel.1 He opened fire on a group of gay and lesbian teenagers who were meeting in the basement for “Bar-Noar,” or “Youth Bar,” killing two people and wounding at least ten others.2 This terrible act of violence attracted immediate national and international attention and condemnation. President Simon Peres declared the next day: [T]he shocking murder carried out in Tel Aviv yesterday against youths and young people is a murder which a civilized and enlightened nation cannot accept. Murder and hatred are the two most serious crimes in society. The police must exert great efforts in order to catch the despicable murderer, and the entire nation must unite in condemning this abominable act.3 * Isidor and Seville Sulzbacher Professor of Law and Director of the Center for Gender and Sexuality Law, Columbia Law School, email:
[email protected]. Particular thanks to Lila Abu-Lughod, Lauren Berlant, Mary Anne Case, Ariela Dubler, Aeyal Gross, Tayyab Mahmud, Joseph Massad, Afsaneh Najmabadi, Amr Shalakany, Neferti Tadiar, Kendall Thomas, Erez Aloni, Janlori Goldman, audiences at the American University in Cairo, Seattle University Law School, Boston University Law School, Duke Law School, and Columbia University for thoughtful comments on earlier versions of this essay, and to Megan Crowley for her able research assistance. © 2012 by Katherine Franke.