Jerusalem survived its very first lesbian and gay pride parade today. A colorful band of a few hundred "crazy fools" marched through the center of Jerusalem, a city revered as holy by three monotheistic faiths which all oppose homosexuality (except, privately, in its practice).
Banners called for "Love without Borders."
The National Israeli Gay, Lesbian, Transsexual and Bi-sexual Organization which sponsored the parade is aggressively multicultural and welcomes people from all sections of Israeli and Palestinian society.
Ha'aretz reports that 4,000 people took part in the parade.
[Hagai Elad, parade organizer, said] "This is an important event, and not only gays should be proud of it. It's our response to the voices of hatred."Among other elements in the parade, the Traveler's Prayer were [sic]recited in Hebrew, Arabic and English, and black balloons, symbolizing both Jewish and Arab victims of the conflict, were released.