Israel’s IDAHOT 2013 celebrations in full swing

IDAHO is held in Israel since 2006, under the name HAVANA (הבנ”ה) which is the abbreviation for IDAHO in Hebrew, and also means “Understanding”.

This year, several events for Havana will be held in Israel between the dates May 16th to 19th.
(For Hebrew version of IDAHO Israel 2013 events).

The Hamsa Project: Protect us from prejudice

A Facebook campaign against hate and prejudice.

It all starts at home. It’s the place where we stand and say:”I’ve got something to tell you” The place that we spend most of our time.  The place, where everyone wish to feel safe and loved. The place, that we wish would  provide us peace and quiet. The place that we wish would protect us from the voices of prejudice that are roaring outdoors.
Unfortunately, sometimes, these voices are crawling into our home, through T.V. radio and internet, and whether it’s members of our family, friends, or colleagues are those who are  exposed to these voices, we find ourselves dealing with ignorance, hatred and violence.

We do not think that we should stay away from home, we think our home should stay away from prejudice. And it’s our job to fight for our homes. On May 17th we’re all saying: prejudice will not step foot in our houses, offices, schools, in the streets, on the net, and so on…Let us all bless our surroundings with love and acceptance. For the sake of our hearts . For the sake of our home.

Join the campaign at www.hamsa.havana.org.il

Main event for Havana / IDAHO, marking twenty years of visibility

Twenty years have passed since the famous “coming out of the closet” event was held in the garden of “Sheinkin” street in Tel Aviv. At the same event, people were filmed going out of a closet that was put in the middle of the garden for everyone to see. Amongst all the participants of the event, there was a soldier, whose picture was published in the next morning’s paper and led him to be sentenced and removed from the Israeli army.

The LGBT community has come long way since those days, and today enjoys the leadership of a younger generation and its actions. This year, Iggy’s youth (youth organization) leads the “coming out”  event, which  will take place on Sunday May 19th at 17:30.

In an addition to the symbolic “coming out ” action, there will be round tables and dialogue circles about the day and the life outside the closet.

The event will honor with greetings and thanks to a dearest member, and much appreciated woman of the LGBT community in 2013, Nora Greenberg, who has led and continues to lead a determined struggle for LGBT right, over the years and has many achievements of the transgender community registered in her name. The event will also honor key volunteers of the community.

Protest vigils in Haifa – It is illegitimate that lesbian couple showing their love, will get a bottle thrown at their head

It is not right that the authorities such as the police, city officials and the education system are not fulfilling their roles. It is not right that the words “homo” and “sissy” are still the most common curses in schools and that “Hoshen” an organization founded to specifically teach tolerance and LGBT rights is still not allowed to come and teach in most of the schools in Israel.
Because it is imperative and our right to protest, yell and also explain LGBT rights in and of the broad public.

The event will be held at Carmel Center, Haifa, Friday May 17th, 12:00.

Homophobia & Transphobia: who is responsible for policy practice and change?

Thursday, 05/16/2013, 15:30 to 20:00, School of Social Work Bob Shapell, Tel Aviv University, Lecture hall #127.

The event will also include an awards ceremony to outstanding papers in the subject of LGBTphobia and LGBT equality, that have participated in Havana’s annual contest, that is taking place the for the 3rd year. This year’s competition subject were: Judaism and LGBTphobia thesis,and two more tracks for general LGBTphobia seminar papers undergraduate and graduate.

A number of lectures will be held in this year’s seminar. Prof. Idit Weiss-Gal will talk about practices for policy change, the personal, communal, social and political. Prof. Eyal Gross will talk about the politics of LGBT rights in Israel in a historical perspective, contemporary and Comparative. Dr. Guy Shilo will explain whether and how research can be used to bring change in Israel’s LGBT policy. A round panel will summarize the seminar in the subject of LGBT policy change in Israel in 2013 in fact.

Please register by email info@havana.org.il

LGBT Visibility Projects on Facebook

Another independent visibility campaign “LGBT people – Not what you thought” is up on the Facebook page of the Jerusalem Videopub gay bar, which will publish every day this week until May 17, a LGBTphobic quote of a well-known Israeli personality. “Homophobia is still alive and we must kick it and call against it” they wrote on their Facebook page.