The pride index: more authorities are budgeting for LGBT people and employing care workers for the community

82.5% of the local authorities in Israel have a budgeted strategy for the community whose demands have been met, compared to 69% the previous year, according to the pride index of the LGBT Association, which was submitted this morning to President Yitzhak Herzog. 80% of the authorities are active in the issue of the gay community not only during Pride Month, And 80% of the authorities hung pride flags or dedicated signage during Pride month, compared to 46% the previous year. In 81% of the authorities, there is an LGBT person in charge of the educational psychological service, compared to 44% in the previous year, and in 75% of the authorities there is a staff member. LGBT, compared to 63% the previous year. 40% of the authorities held activities to strengthen the gay community and its relationship with the local authority since the beginning of the war.

The index examined 40 local authorities across the country based on five categories: welfare, education, infrastructure and organizational structure, visibility in the public sphere and culture. In large cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants, the municipality of Ramat Gan excelled, holding dozens of dedicated activities for the variety of populations in the gay community, including the Russian and religious communities, while demonstrating exceptional LGBT visibility, also as a public response to hate crimes; Rishon Lezion, which initiated dozens of events for the gay community and trained the city’s social workers on the subject of introduction and ways of treating the LGBT community; Tel Aviv-Yafo, which opened the new gay center in Gan Meir with an investment of tens of millions of shekels and provided a variety of dedicated services to different groups in the gay community, including the trans community, the Arab community, the religious community, the golden age and community members in various risk situations; Kfar Saba, which demonstrated achievements in all fields, opened an English-speaking group for LGBT immigrants in Beit Gaa and held dedicated activities during the war.

In the top ten local authorities among cities and small councils with less than 100,000 inhabitants, the municipality of Givatayim excelled, which demonstrated achievements in all areas of education, welfare, visibility, culture and infrastructure in the index, established a clinic for gay families and was the first municipality to approve the registration of LGBT couples and took care of a position that allows Free registration; Modi’in-Maccabim-Reot, which opened a pride house in the city, stood out for its support of the gay religious community and has several groups to support LGBT parents; Ramat Hasharon, which made sure to adapt its form to the LGBT community and lit up the city hall in the colors of pride; Herzliya, which demonstrated achievements in the fields of culture and welfare, and held the conference “LGBT in the Battle” on the legal and social aspects of the gay community during the war; And Ra’anana, which excelled in the fields of infrastructure and culture and promoted LGBT-friendly health services.

Among regional councils with more than 100,000 residents, the Carmel Beach Regional Council stood out as it continued to demonstrate progress in working for the gay community, made changes in the organizational structure and opened additional infrastructure for the benefit of the community.

The Association for the LGBT gave a commendation to local authorities that promoted the needs of the gay community in a special way. One of the municipalities that received a commendation is Beer Sheva, where the municipality financed the renovation of a new public building for the gay community and in cooperation with Beit Gaa in Beer Sheva implemented projects to strengthen the local gay community. Sheva will be held tonight at 18:00 A rally of hope and pride, representatives of the displaced community, the families of the abductees, southern communities, youth representatives and more will appear and speak at the event; and the musicians Gal de Paz, Marina Maximilian and DJ Darvish. Beer Sheva’s drag queens, Celine Le Devine and Eliza Van Jura, will host the event.

The municipality of Ness Ziona, which held a first-of-its-kind LGBT conference with the participation of professional men and women along with residents, was also awarded a commendation; as well as the municipality of Ashdod, which demonstrated exceptional efforts, among other things, by dedicating a house to the city’s gay community and promoting mentors for LGBT youth. The Mashgav and Carmel Coast regional councils also received a commendation.

President Herzog awarded the outstanding authorities a certificate of appreciation for their activities. The municipality of Givatayim was represented at the ceremony by the local LGBT activist, Or-Lee Niv, MM and deputy mayor of Givatayim, who married her son, the late fighter Omri Niv Feirstein, on October 7, and struggled to add the name of her partner, Omri’s other mother , on the inscription on her son’s tombstone.

“Givataim has become a home for the gay community,” Niv said. “Our goal is to make the life of the gay community in the city equal and normal. Omri fought Hamas terrorists who tried to infiltrate the Zikim base, rescued the wounded and saved lives. Omri was born into a family with two mothers, Michal and Vani, father Kobi and two sisters, Maya and Mika. Together we are one normal family Absolutely. We insisted that his tombstone express his way of life. Omri’s will was to live well and devour life. Omri grew up in an egalitarian home of warriors.”

In the shadow of the war, it was decided in the association that the index would be adapted to the situation and allow local authorities not to participate in it this year. “The war revealed the unimaginable gap between the mobilization of the gay community for the war effort and the lack of full rights in civilian life,” said the chairperson of the LGBT Association, Hila Parr. “In front of this gap, stand local authorities that carry on their banner the values ​​of equality, liberality and tolerance from the entire political spectrum and stand by the LGBT community as a wall in a way.

President Herzog: “Amidst the painful and challenging reality that the war brings with it, there are also countless opportunities to observe the beauty of Israeli society, of many shades and faces. Pride Month is such an opportunity. The rupture that has befallen us since October 7 has left many wounds and traumas, but it has also brought heroes to the surface One of them is the late Major Sagi Golan, a fighter and commander who fell while saving dozens of besieged families in the fierce battle in Kibbutz Bari.

“We had the privilege of hosting at the President’s house his spouse Omer Ohana, who was recognized as an IDF widower in a precedent-setting way, in a very important step on the road to repair and healing for same-sex families whose worlds were destroyed by Israel’s systems and hostilities. The Israeli partnership, which reflects a magnificent mosaic, is the secret to building society and the state after the terrible rupture, provided that it is based on tolerance, listening and respect for every person, because a person created in his image is loved.”