Oi Vay We're Gay

"Come, let's go together to the parade" said the very straight 49 year old errand guy at my work who is of Morrocan ancestry.

"You only want to go see the lesbians"

He laughed. I was right.

Not always is the second or third time around like the first time around. Like the first time I went to the gym at the YMCA around 7:30 one evening and saw a roomful of hunks. There was only one woman there. I just had an orientation session and wasn't ready to begin working out. I went back the very next day at 5:00 pm and everyone seemed to have aged 40 years. It was like being in the audience of the Lawrence Welk Show. Senior Citizens Hour. Shit. Do hunks only come out at night?

Two years ago I went to the Pride Day parade in Jerusalem. It was on a Friday in the early afternoon. I was friends with some of the Orthodykes (Orthodox Jewish lesbians) and wanted to show my support. To tell the total truth, I also went to see who I knew, whom I thought might be gay. Sure enough, I saw a male belly dancer who was in the same class as I was. We smiled and waved to each other and I was satisfied my gaydar was working. The weather was hot, the mood was great and the scene was colorful - colors of the rainbow everywhere. The Jerusalem parade was more laid back and modest than its Tel Aviv counterpart or, for that matter, anywhere else in the world. It fit in with Jerusalem's conservative character. You had a handful of freaks but the majority were ordinary people.

This year I wanted to take part in it too and catch up with friends I only see at these events. But the mood was far more tense. There were alot more Ultra-Orthodox protesters and riot police were there, some on horses. They wouldn't let me through to the pedestrian mall at first - because they just wanted to keep the protesters away from the marchers. I felt nervous. I got into the area from the side. I found my close friend B. - a straighty like me. We hugged and everyone must have thought we were dykes. I saw another male friend from peace activities and he looked at my friend and back at me and nodded at me, as if B. and I were a duo. Heh! There was a smell of shit wafting through the air. Someone had thrown a stink bomb in the area. One of the protesters obviously got through to the crowd. I walked with the marchers a bit, after B. had to leave. As we got to the main street, there more more protestors and they were loud. Terribly loud, holding up signs in Hebrew. A secular Israeli couple was yelling at the marchers too.

"You're sick"
"Why" asked a marcher.
"Because you're a HOMO!!!"

The marcher videotaped her, as well as other protestors before being told to move on by the police.

I walked a bit with a dyke friend of mine whom I knew from peace activities. She gave me a flyer inviting me to a weekend of meditation, healing workshops, etc. for the homosexual and lesbian community and invited me to the Open House. I got lots of invites that day to this thing and that thing. God, it's a friendly community. As I was walking with R. someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was a Rabbi. Shit. But not to worry, it was the Reform rabbi, who fully supports gay rights, telling me he'd read my blog about the Wandering Rabbi and liked it. Yes!! Illustrious people in Jerusalem are reading me.

I didn't finish the march as the staff at work were gathering at an Indian restaurant to say farewell to our CFO, who was leaving for the States.

But later on I heard that 3 marchers were lightly stabbed by an Ultra-orthodox protester. I was so sad. I heard the protesters chant in Hebrew - "ein sotim, ein piguim" - something along the lines of "if there's no immorality, there won't be any terrorist attacks." However, I think they blew it this time. Hatred of others, just because of different lifestyles, doesn't put you into God's good book. Even if you do keep the Sabbath to a tee.