Mapping LGBTQ Organizations in Israel
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Mapping LGBTQ Organizations in Israel Summary Report Researched and Written by: Prof. Israel Katz, Adi Maoz, Dana Alfassi, Nir Levy Professional Management: Ohad Hizki & Ronit Levy June 2018 1 The following mapping was written for, about and in collaboration with, the LGBTQ organizations in Israel: 2 Table of Contents 1. Introduction ....................................................................................... 4 2. Executive Summary ............................................................................ 6 3. Mapping of LGBTQ Organizations in Israel ......................................... 13 Findings of the Organizational Survey ..................................................................... 13 Other Activities ......................................................................................................... 19 4. Analysis of the LGBTQ Organizational Sphere .................................... 23 Boundaries—of the LGBTQ Field, Community, and Activities .................................. 23 Organizational Characteristics and Activities .......................................................... 26 Inter-Organizational Collaboration .......................................................................... 30 Attitudes toward the Establishment ........................................................................ 35 5. Conclusion ........................................................................................ 39 Main Recommendations .......................................................................................... 41 6. Literature Review .............................................................................. 44 General Historical Background ................................................................................ 45 Hierarchies of Identity and Power Relations ............................................................ 49 The Development of the LGBTQ Struggle in Different Countries ............................. 52 A Review of LGBTQ Organizations ........................................................................... 60 Statutory Status and Funding Sources ..................................................................... 63 Mapping by Types of Activity ................................................................................... 65 Coalitions and Inter-Organizational Collaboration .................................................. 66 The History of the LGBTQ Struggle in Israel ............................................................. 69 7. Appendix—Community Survey Results .............................................. 76 3 1. Introduction This report is a joint initiative of Israel’s LGBTQ organizations, led by the Aguda – Israel's LGBT Task Force, and the JDC Institute for Leadership and Governance. It was driven by a desire to map the LGBTQ field in Israel and its needs, focusing on organizations that provide services to the community and act on its behalf. Mapping these organizations will support strategic planning for the future, and enable us to formulate recommendations for further action. Around 20 LGBTQ organizations are currently active in Israel, each aiming at specific sectors within the community based mainly on geography and sexual identity or orientation, and sometimes focusing on a specific niche. The organizations are mostly structured as registered nonprofits, although some are defined as municipal entities that receive municipal resources and are held accountable accordingly. The mapping does not presume to cover all entities that serve the LGBTQ community in one way or another, especially as the community is not itself a single cohesive unit. Alongside the organizations surveyed (and others) are more loosely-based associations, some with no real connection to other LGBTQ organizations, as well as individual activists. It is also clear that not everyone within the community is represented, despite the great sensitivity to nuances of identity and each sub-group’s desire for distinct recognition, so in many senses this review affords a welcome opportunity for renewal and development in this regard. The LGBTQ community has come a long way in recent decades, both in Israel and throughout the world. These development of the LGBTQ struggle—and of the institutionalized organizations that work with the community or grew from within it— is reviewed in the comprehensive literary survey that appears in the appendix. Community members have experienced persecution, lack of recognition, and the need to hide their identity or fight for it, and this has affected the community’s growth and development. Despite this, many successes have been achieved over the years, primarily the attainment of public legitimacy (even if institutional discrimination still exists), and the growing recognition of differences within the community. Other achievements in Israel include the revocation of the 1988 law prohibiting homosexual intercourse; increased representation in the Knesset and local government; legislation and judicial rulings granting rights to members of the community; the creation of educational and instructional frameworks for young people about sexual orientation; gay pride parades that have become prominent annual events in major cities; the establishment of strong and stable organizations; and finally, growing visibility in public discourse, including the “coming out” of media personalities. At the same time, there remain significant divisions between the various organizations working for the LGBTQ community, and most of the community’s members are not 4 active in these organizations for long. Another shadow is cast by violent events directed at the community, including the traumatic milestones of the 2009 Bar No’ar murders in Tel Aviv and the murder at the 2015 Jerusalem gay pride parade. These are reminders that the community still faces considerable threats, and they emphasize the need for action. This report thus focuses on the important challenges still faced by LGBTQ organizations in Israel. The data presented in the report was obtained from a number of sources: a series of interviews conducted with CEOs of LGBTQ organizations (including visits to some organizations); two meetings with a forum of organization CEOs; four focus groups (comprising CEOs, volunteers, employees, and non-active community members); an internet survey of LGBTQ community members; a survey of the organizations; and conversations with the CEO and chairperson of the Aguda—the Israeli National LGBT Task Force; and an analysis of written material. As a rule, we received exemplary cooperation from all individuals and organizations contacted for this report. This stemmed from a common recognition of needs, but it is also an indication of this community’s unique spirit, which is one of its strengths. 5 2. Executive Summary This report is the product of a joint initiative of Israel’s LGBTQ organizations and the JDC Institute for Leadership and Governance. It was driven by a desire to map the LGBTQ field in Israel, focusing on the organizations that provide services to the community and act on its behalf, and on these organizations’ needs. The guiding idea was that this mapping would provide insights that can support strategic planning for the future, and would enable us to formulate recommendations for further action. Around 20 LGBTQ organizations are currently active in Israel, each aiming at specific sectors within the community: some based on geography, some on sexual identity or orientation, and some focusing on a specific niche. The organizations are mostly structured as registered nonprofits, although some are defined as municipal entities that receive municipal resources and are held accountable accordingly. The mapping does not presume to cover all entities that serve the LGBTQ community in one way or another, especially as the community itself is not a single cohesive unit. Alongside the organizations surveyed (and others) are more loosely-based associations, some with no real connection to other LGBTQ organizations, as well as individual activists. It is also notable that not everyone within the community is represented, despite the great sensitivity to nuances of identity and each sub-group’s desire for distinct recognition, so in many senses this review affords a welcome opportunity for renewal and development in this regard. The LGBTQ community has come a long way in recent decades, both in Israel and throughout the world. The development of the LGBTQ struggle—and of the institutionalized organizations that work with the community or grew from within it— is reviewed in the comprehensive literary survey included in this report. As a community whose members have experienced persecution, struggled for recognition, and had to either hide their identity or fight for it, similar motifs have marked the growth and development of the community itself and its organizations. Despite these struggles, many successes have been achieved over the years, both internationally and in Israel. Most notably, the LGBTQ community has come to recognize the differences that exist within it, and been successful in gaining broad public legitimacy, even if institutional discrimination still persists in many guises. Major achievements in Israel include the revocation of the 1988 law prohibiting homosexual intercourse; growing representation in the Knesset and local government; legislation and judicial rulings granting rights to members of the community; the creation of educational and instructional