Tel Aviv holds march commemorating Barnoar shooting
Almost 2,000 people march in Tel Aviv commemorating nine years since the murders at the gay youth center that left two people, including a teenager, dead; protester says 'We need more LGBT members in key positions in government and military.’
Since the case was opened, no one has been convicted with the connection to the murders.
Among those who participated in the event, organized by the gay youth organization Iggy, were the families of those injured in the Barnoar, youth organizations and movements, including HaNoar HaOved VeHaLomed, No'am, Scouts, Krembo Wings and many others. Stefan Lager and a trans model Stav Strashko.
Ayala Katz, mother of the late Nir Katz, made a speech during the protest, praising the efforts to uplift the LGBT community.
"It's exciting to see that people still remember what happened. Before that hate crime I was not familiar with the inner workings of the community and after the murder I decided that I had to leave the house, stop being part of the silent majority and work with the LGBT community.
“The most exciting thing that has happened in these nine years is that I saw people working towards making Israel equal and free. One cannot lose optimism and hope. Do me a favor—do not let this world make you bitter," she exclaimed.
Nitay Nedivi, 19, who is doing national service at the Iggy organization, called on the government to make it easier for transgender people to undergo medical procedures.
"The State of Israel discriminates against the LGBT community. The law makes it very difficult for people from a transgender community to undergo medical procedures, the connection between religion and state prohibits us from getting married, there is systematic discrimination towards same-sex couples. The education system has almost no content on sex, gender, or anything else that deviates from their norm,” he added.
Yonatan Meyer, 18, from Rehovot, who will soon start his national service, said he still plans to enlist in the IDF despite what he describes as discriminatory rhetoric from the government.
"After a year of national service I will enlist in the military, probably in combat, in the Nahal Brigade. The choice of LGBT youth to join the IDF is a complex one riddled with emotional baggage. We feel that the state does not treat us equally but still requires from us the same contribution as everyone else … The answer to the institutionalized LGBT-phobia is having LGBT members in key positions, both in the military and in politics. You cannot stomp on us once when we are the decision-makers," he elaborated.
The transgender model Stav Strashko also took part in the event, vowing to continue her campaign.
"Our only safe haven has become our nightmare. We need to educate our children that 'transgender' and 'homo' are not shameful words. I am proud of what I am and what I represent … I promise to continue making my voice heard. We are all different and we are all equal," she concluded.
The organizers of the event emphasized the lack of progress that has been made on the issues of LGBT since the Barnoar murders.
"Nine years ago an armed man entered the Barnoar center and murdered boys and girls only because they were different. Nine years have passed and not much has changed. In recent weeks there has been a public outcry against the inequality and discrimination of the LGBT community in Israel … We are calling to put a stop to the violence towards the LGBT community,” concluded their statement.
A recent study by the Magnus Hirschfeld Research Institute, initiated by the Iggy organization, found that around 80 percent of gay teens admitted that the word "gay" was often said to them as a curse. The study also found that the rate of exposure to various types of violence among students from the gay community is twice as high as the general population.
Another study revealed that 7.6 percent of gay youth had at some point been physically assaulted because of their sexual orientation and that the rate of exposure to sexual harassment among the LGBT students is three times higher than among the rest of the population.
