Gay Pride Parade (Archive photo)
Photo: Jeremy Feldman
Gays slam Jerusalem mayor
Group petitions High Court over what it says is discriminatory conduct by Mayor Uri Lupolianski. Jerusalem Open House asks judges to order city hall to fund Gay Pride Parade scheduled for late June
JERUSALEM – A gay rights group petitioned the High Court of Justice Thursday over what it says constitutes discriminatory conduct against homosexuals and Lesbians on the part of Mayor Uri Lupolianski.
The Jerusalem Open House, which represents the gay community in the capital, called on the court to order city hall to end its discrimination and fund the Gay Pride Parade scheduled to take place in Jerusalem at the end of June.
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Last year, local officials refused to meet Open House demands and held the gay parade under the banner of “World Sports Day.” The group is worried the city would resort to the same tactic this year and therefore filed the petition with the court.
In the petition, the group notes it already postponed world gay pride events scheduled for August as a result of the upcoming disengagement. However, the group says it decided to hold the annual local parade in June, as usual.
‘Fed up with mayor’s pathetic efforts'
Group representative Saar Netanel told the judges that the Jerusalem city hall has completely ignored all requests by the Open House regarding the parade. Moreover, during a meeting last week, Jerusalem City Hall Director-General Eitan Meir admitted he is “following the orders of Lupolianski, who doesn’t want to hold the parade in Jerusalem,” Netanel charged.
“We’re fed up with Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupolianski’s pathetic efforts to prevent the pride parade from being held in Jerusalem,” Netanel said. “As the mayor is not serving as everyone’s mayor, and in this case isn’t respecting the law, we have no choice but to petition the Supreme Court."
Other activists in the Open House said that in any case they intend to hold the parade at the end of the month.
“Jerusalem doesn’t belong only to the mayor and those like him,” one activist said.
