The winner of the first Miss Trans Israel pageant, Talleen Abu Hana, was the guest of honor at the Israel Embassy in Washington on the occasion of LGBT Pride Month. During the event, the 23-year-old Abu Hanna delivered a keynote address to members of Congress, foreign diplomats, leaders of the Jewish community, homosexual activists and the mainstream media.
Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Ron Dermer, boasted that Jerusalem has done much for the LGBT community, and will continue to do even more. “For 40 years, LGBT organizations have been operating freely in Israel,” he said. “There are laws in Israel prohibiting gender-based employment, and [gays] serve in the IDF, in diplomatic roles, in science, in entertainment, and in every sector of society.”
Dermer stressed that hatred of the LGBT community is a threat to society as a whole, and that all must stand united for equality. “Israel is the only nation in the Middle East that protects the LGBT community and progressive values,”...
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