250,000 locals and tourists attended the Tel Aviv Pride Parade | Photo: @slonir
A quarter of a million locals and tourists have attended this year’s Tel Aviv Pride for its 20th anniversary.
Sometimes dubbed the ‘Berlin of the Middle East’, the city celebrated its path to inclusion with the theme ‘Making History’. It has been 30 years since the cancellation of gay sex restrictions in Israel and ten years since the founding of the LGBTI Center in the city.
Officially kicking off at 2pm local time after a Pride Parade Lunch, the march marks the end of a two-week festival. Located on the Mediterranean coastline, the Israeli city is one of the most popular LGBTI destinations in the world. And it boasts a few breathtaking spots that make its parade a particularly Instagrammable one.
The crowds gathered at the beautiful beachfront Charles Clore Park for the parade. Its cheerful vibe clashes with the usual conservative atmosphere elsewhere in the Middle East.
Among those attending was US TV host Andy Cohen, in his capacity as International Ambassador for Tel Aviv pride 2018.
‘Celebrating Pride in Tel Aviv is a beautiful celebration of gay rights and visibility in a region where many of the neighbors cannot live as their true selves or be who they were born to be, which makes it all the more special for this massive coming together in support of equality to be taking place in Tel Aviv,’ he said in a statement.