Having a gay old time in Israel

April 8, 2010 - 8:38 AM by David

Israel’s thriving gay and lesbian culture is being touted as a selling point for the country’s virtues, not only by travel agencies, but also by the government.

Israel’s consulate in San Francisco is co-sponsoring a month of events highlighting gay and lesbian culture.
This is the first time a foreign country has sponsored an LGBT – lesbian, gay, bisexual, trangender – event in the United States. a consulate spokesman told the San Francisco Chronicle.

Highlights include a screening of ‘Yossi and Jagger,’ the winning Eytan Fox film about the romance between two male IDF soldiers, and readings by Israeli novelist Yossi Avni-Levy, whose book, “Auntie Farhuma Wasn’t a Whore After All,” deals with a gay couple. Other offerings include screenings of the films ‘Eyes Wide Open’ and ‘The Secrets,’ a dance-theater performance titled ’4 Men, Alice, Bach and The Deer,’ a concert by Yael Deckelbaum, a panel discussion on ‘Queer Perspectives on Jewish Spirituality and Zionism,” a play called ‘The Timekeepers’ and a cooking demonstration by Gil Hovav.

Other participating institutions include the San Francisco JCC, local Jewish federations, the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, and the Jewish Community Relations Council.

Meanwhile, Tel Aviv has become such an inviting destination for the gay and lesbian community worldwide that American entrepeneurs are planning gay-oriented tours here this spring.

According to a story in The Forward citing The New York Observer, there’s a bunch to choose from. One is courtesy of Michael Lucas, a gay pornographer who produced the 2009 film ‘Men of Israel.’ Along with a nude beach and dinner with porn stars, his itinerary includes the traditional Holy Land sites.

Alternatively, New York party producer Josh Wood and Steele Luxury Travel are offering a 10-day excursion called “Milk and Honey,” which includes a Sabbath dinner, Kabbalah class, winery tour, Ein Gedi hike and kibbutz visit, and VIP access to gay pride parties.

The Forward story talked with David Kaufman, an American journalist who lived in Tel Aviv for a while and edited Time Out Tel Aviv, who cautioned that visitors should not expect orgies in the street.

“Tel Aviv is many things, but a sex-dripping, extreme-clubbing, neo-Ibiza it is not,” he wrote in an e-mail. “The men are certainly sexy and alluring, but Tel Aviv’s small size and relative homogeneity may leave many truly sophisticated travelers disappointed. On the other hand, Israel’s lack of formality translates into locals who are warm, welcoming and anything but uptight. This — far more than their appearances — is what makes Israelis great. The sex bit is just the window dressing.”

Share with others