Tel Aviv’s Pride Parade isn’t just a spectacle; it’s the second largest in Asia and ranks among the top ten worldwide! 

The city has embraced its reputation as a gay-friendly tourist hotspot, and the IDF prides itself on being one of the most LGBTQ-inclusive militaries globally. Remarkably, the Israeli army has allowed soldiers to serve openly since the early 1990s—long before the U.S. repealed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Today, the IDF even covers sex-change surgeries for trans soldiers who meet certain criteria.

But the journey isn’t without its hurdles. Same-sex couples, for instance, still can’t marry within Israel’s borders; they have to travel to places like Cyprus or Greece to tie the knot officially. And adopting a child as a gay couple? It's still an uphill battle.

On this episode of Inside Israel, we chat with LGBTQ activist Jay Rosen. Jay reveals a surprising statistic that sheds light on how young Israelis perceive Tel Aviv. He also shares an unofficial yet bold claim that might astonish you: up to one-third of Tel Aviv’s population could be gay, lesbian, or queer.

In the "Hebrew is Magic" segment, Jay dives into the word freier and how it connects to his experience teaching Hebrew to new immigrants in ulpan.

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Israel 201, co-authored by Joel and Benji Lovitt and Winner of the 2023 National Jewish Book Award: www.joelchasnoff.com/books

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