Comments on: Let us be clear on the Jerusalem Gay Pride Parade

By: Rahel

Rahel — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:56:14 +0000

chsw, the parade organizers have indeed accepted a rerouting, saying specifically that they do not want to cause “fires.”

In this case, it is the Haredim, not the gay community, who are willing to use violence to get what they want. As of this evening, Haredim are rioting in various locations downtown, and there is not even a parade going on now. (And before anyone says that they’re doing it because they’re just so pained that they can’t keep quiet a second longer, go sell someone else a bridge. This is about power and control, not emotions run amok.)

As for separate seating on buses and taxi vans, I have dealt with this personally and written about it on my blog.

By: Meryl Yourish

Meryl Yourish — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 19:24:39 +0000

Sorry, but so what? So what if the parade route goes past religious sites? The streets are public. The parade isn’t going to stop and enter a mosque, or a church, or a synagogue.

And what’s with the “violence on either side” bit? I’m not reading about gays threatening to commit violence on Haredi. It’s the opposite.

By: Alex Bensky

Alex Bensky — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 18:42:49 +0000

There is a group called Queers for Palestine. I’ve written them to ask for their position on: 1) Gay Pride parades in Israel; and 2) the absence of anything like that in Arab countries.

I’ll let you know what, if anything, they have to say about it.

By: chsw

chsw — Mon, 06 Nov 2006 15:24:11 +0000

The main argument of the religious opposition to the parade from Muslims, eastern-rite Christians and haredi Jews is that the parade goes through the major religious sites of Jerusalem. However, the parade organizers will not accept a rerouting of the parade to avoid these.

There is no excuse for violence on either side. However, there is some bloodymindedness by the parade organizers which should not be ignored.

chsw