Tel Aviv's gay pride parade: More than 200,000 people celebrate in the heart of Israel
Parts of the bustling city shut for traffic and loud music blasted along the parade’s route in Tel Aviv, Israel.
)
Two man hold hands as they take part in a gay pride parade in Tel Aviv. Israeli media reported that 200,000 people joined the festivities. Reuters
A woman holds a placard as she takes part in the gay pride parade. Among the crowd were thousands of tourists, many of them holding the flags of their country of origin, as they paraded through Tel Aviv, known as a rare oasis for the LGTB community in the Middle East. Reuters
Revellers take part in the gay pride parade. Israel is widely tolerant of gay people, and Tel Aviv has emerged as one of the world's most gay-friendly travel destinations. The city stands in sharp contrast to much of the region, where people are persecuted and may even be killed because of their sexuality. Reuters
The majority of Jerusalem's residents are observant Jews, Muslims or Christians, conservative communities whose members mostly frown on homosexuality. But violent attacks on gay people are rare. A radical ultra-Orthodox Jew stabbed a teenage girl to death at Jerusalem's parade in 2015. The attack was widely condemned and the killer was convicted for murder. Reuters
A Texan American Jewish man takes part in the parade. Since its launch in 1998, the Tel Aviv Gay Pride march has become an important event for the LGTB community worldwide.
Parts of the bustling city shut for traffic and loud music blasted along the parade's route, which was crowded with people dancing and waving balloons and rainbow flags. Reuters