Entering the hall of the “Queer Utopias in Israel” conference was no easy task. Since the invitation said the conference was open for all, I didn’t bother to register. As I approached the building, I saw an unusual number of security personnel guarded the entrance. “Why the heavy security?” I asked the man in charge, “I see no protestors here.” “There was a demonstration,” he told me. “Where?” I asked. “At Geha Junction,” he answered. “Geha?” I looked at him, “but it’s three miles away from here.”
Nice as he was, the guard wouldn’t let me enter. The hall is full, he told me. “But I am a journalist,” I tried, “I came here to do a job.” “The hall is full,” reiterated the conference coordinator, who looked at me suspiciously, “and who are you? You should have registered.” “But the invitation says open for all,” I shot back. And so it went back and forth, until she reluctantly consented to let me in.
And yes, the hall was packed, no doubt because unlike with the first...
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