Here in Holy Land Central (HLC), a storm's a' brewin over the impending Gay Pride Parade to be held in Jerusalem November 10.
According to local news reports, ultra religious Jews, Muslims and right wing groups are threatening to sabotage the parade with eggs and razor blades (!) thrown from rooftops and rabbis are calling for a "holy war" (do they mean jihad per chance?) against parade-goers.
The rhetoric increases across the divide each day and police are on high alert for THE BIG DAY. Last year, a few parade celebrants were stabbed when an ultra-orthodox Jew went on a stabbing rampage.
So call me silly but:
- I GET that we're in Holy Land Central and that religious implications up the ante and all. But coming from San Fran I view things in a slightly different light. What exactly should the gay population do? Pretend to be straight and go back into the closet? C'mon. That creates insanity and all sorts of unwanted side effects not to mention twisted and sordid behavior.
- Aren't the religious among us considered "out there" by mainstreamers? Does that mean we should throw razor blades from rooftops at those sporting long beards, side locks, skullcaps and wigs or donning long sleeves and fur-lined hats in 100-degree heat? Call me hippie child but we're all god's kids no matter what gender our partner happens to be. Amen.
- Speaking of the big "G", how god-like is throwing razor blades from rooftops anyhow?
Tolerance is tolerance is tolerance. I'm inclined to mosey on up to J-Town to check it out the day of. Then again, maybe not. Once you've witnessed 6-inch stiletto heels and hair big enough to make John Waters proud, Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Dykes on Bikes and the gay fire and police brigades making their way down Market Street on extravagant floats, all else sort of pales.
11 comments:
Hay, my daughter-out-law (then, now she's -in-law) rode with Dykes on Bikes in Seattle when she was 7 months pregnant, and had a rainbow painted on her belly (my granddaughter, the very Mermaid Girl). Talk about pride!
But even so, I'm not sure I'll be marching next week...Mermaid Girl needs all the Savta she can get.
i wuz thinking of going to jtown next friday davka to be counted among the parade organizers' and marchers' allies.
Ooh Steph, you beat me to it. I just posted about this as well. Totally insane.
However, I won't be there. Like Savta, I was there for the stabbing, and I've had enough of walking through the Valley of the Shadow of Death for one lifetime.
Would you march through the Vatican? I'm curious...
Would you disrespect the Vatican in the same way you are disrespecting the Holy city of Jerusalem?
I am not gay, however I totally respect your rights to be gay. In fact, I applaud your honesty and determination.
But I feel that this parade is deliberately provoking a situation. Why not hold it in Tel Aviv instead where there are a lot more resident gays?
It's all going to be a disaster.... for everyone! Orthodox Jews, muslims, Christians and the people marching. Beware of the threats of the suicide bombers who hate gays as much as they hate Jews.
Think about this please.
I'm not gay either, by the way. Would a parade in the Vatican be okay and is the march through Jerusalem provocative? You have a point. But perhaps this is the motive of those feeling shelved for too long..? Regardless, violence is unjustified. Worth pondering is the link between religion, sexual orientation and violence.
Whether the parade itself is provocation or disrespect does not justify the sort of violence that is being spoken about, and already perpetrated, because of this planned march.
You don't want to see it? Stay home.
And yes, there have been pride parades in Rome for years, and in Jerusalem for the past 6 years. World Pride was held in Rome in 2000, to the chagrin of the Vatican, I'm sure, but they knew better than to be violent about it.
And Jerusalem may be a holy city, but it's still a city, where people of all shapes, sizes, religions and sexual orientations live their lives just as everyone else does. It's about time that the Haredi community there accepted this fact, instead of fighting it every step of the way.
Jerusalem also happens to be the capital of Israel, a democracy (free speech and assembly).
Why didn't MLK Jr and the Millon Moms and all the other groups go march on, let's say, Las Vegas?
"Resident gays"? Huh?
Resident Gay i.e. Citizen Gay. One who lives in Gay. As in: "Hi. I'm from Gay. And you?" Just kidding. This is serious stuff.
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