Today, 17th of May, we mark the International Day against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.
Israel was, is and always will be committed to the respect of Human Rights for all, paying particular attention to LGBTI people, who still face many challenges in most parts of the world.
Israel has taken different measures to promote the inclusion and visibility of LGBTI related issues, but we know that there is still a lot to achieve, both domestically and at the United Nations.
The Tel Aviv Pride Parade is renowned as one of the largest, most diverse, inclusive and creative worldwide. It is a celebration of a society which embraces everyone. It is fully supported by the government and the Tel-Aviv-Jaffa municipality and is attended by hundreds of thousands of individuals each year, which symbolizes the liberal and colorful nature of Tel-Aviv and of Israel as a whole.
Every year, the LGBTI community chooses a different theme for the parade; this year’s theme is “Bisexuality Visibility”, a topic often disregarded on the global agenda.
Here in Geneva, Israel is fully committed to promote LGBTI rights. We have strongly supported the creation of the mandate for the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. During each Universal Periodic Review session, we focus our attention on LGBTI issues, in particular trans and intersex persons who are usually ignored.
Israel is fully committed to the fight against discrimination and violence against LGBTI people in any form. We believe that this fight is the responsibility of all of us, not just the victims or the activists who experience it daily. If we want to leave no one behind, it should be a common goal for us all.