Here are the 5 coolest things about Israel's world-famous Tel Aviv Pride

Approximately 250,000 people attended Israel’s world-famous Tel Aviv Pride event earlier this month. It was the largest event in the country since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic canceled that year’s Pride.

Israel regularly gets accused of “pinkwashing” — that is, using its progressive LGBTQ rights record to help justify its decades-long military actions and human rights violations against Palestinians. But the event remains especially notable considering that it’s the most pro-LGBTQ event in the Middle East.

Most U.S. Pride parades require groups to apply for permission to march as throngs of people watch from the sidelines. But Tel Aviv Pride encourages attendees to participate rather than spectate, joining floats and entertainers along the nearly two-mile parade route.

While loads of people still watch the parade from the sidelines, anyone can march with the eye-catching floats (many of which feature dancers, glittering displays, and pop music). The slow-moving floats all have guards who hold ropes around their perimeters to make sure that people keep a safe distance from them.

more...