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Israel Reaches Record Number of Openly Gay Lawmakers

Agence France-Presse

   Israel swore in its latest openly gay lawmaker on Monday, marking a
   record for the country considered a regional pioneer on LGBT rights
   despite opposition from religious conservatives.

   Yorai Lahav Hertzanu from the centrist Blue and White alliance became
   the latest politician to join the 120-seat Knesset, bringing to six the
   number of openly gay lawmakers.

   All are men and represent parties from across the political spectrum,
   including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party.

   Lahav Hertzanu's appointment came after a law change allowing ministers
   to leave their parliamentary seat and be replaced by another member of
   their own party.

   Five percent of Israeli lawmakers are now openly gay, the
   fourth-highest figure in the world, according to political scientist
   Andrew Reynolds.

   It comes "after Britain, 8.1 percent, Liechtenstein, 8 percent, and the
   Scottish parliament, 7.7 percent," said Reynolds, who directs an LGBT
   representative programme at the University of North Carolina in the
   United States.

   Israel's first LGBT lawmaker, Uzi Even, was appointed in 2002, and the
   community in the Jewish state has far more rights than those in most
   Middle Eastern countries.

   Openly gay soldiers serve in the military, while Israel recognises
   same-sex marriages conducted abroad, and gay and lesbian couples have
   surrogacy rights.

   "There have been very positive developments in recent decades," said Or
   Keshet from Israel's leading LGBT organisation Aguda.

   "It's very encouraging that there are six lawmakers representing
   different parties from the community," he said, adding that their
   success made them role models for young people.

   "But we expect all those elected to represent us and advance equal
   rights," said Keshet. "And there is still a lot to do."

   First openly gay minister

   While Tel Aviv's Gay Pride parade usually draws huge crowds from around
   the world, the equivalent march in conservative Jerusalem is held under
   a heavy police presence.

   Security was increased after the 2015 killing of Shira Banki, a
   teenager who was stabbed to death during the parade by ultra-Orthodox
   Jew Yishai Shlissel.

   Several other people were wounded by Shlissel, who had been released
   just three weeks earlier after spending 10 years in prison for a
   similar attack.

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