Thousands of members of the gay community, from both Israel and abroad, are expected to take to the streets of Tel Aviv on Friday to march in the annual Gay Pride Parade. According to plans, marchers will gather for a "happening" at Meir Park at 10:00 a.m. Around 1:30 p.m., the parade will head out in the direction of Gordon beach, where a massive beach party is scheduled to take place. Sharon Yegerman, spokesperson for "The Aguda - The National Association of GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transsexual) in Israel," said: "The parade takes place every year with the slogan 'I am equal,' the goal being to increase awareness about equal rights for the gay community in Israel. We are delighted to report that this year, local activities have reached the international level. At events in Israel, we distributed informational materials in three languages: Hebrew, English and German. We released an iPhone application for the website "Tel Aviv Gay Vibe" and opened an informational booth at Hilton Beach for tourists. Five thousand visitors have already arrived from Europe. Our partnership with the Tel Aviv Municipality for the last six years has led to prosperity and increased tourism, meaningfully contributing to state revenues." Chen Langer, a volunteer at The Aguda and an active member of the gay community, injured in an August 2009 attack at a local gay community center, said on Thursday: "German parliament and police representatives from Berlin and Cologne met with Israeli police officials in a meeting coordinated by the German Embassy in Israel. The two sides expressed willingness to cooperate and I believe that the Israeli police opened the door to create a relationship with the gay community." Leading up to the parade, street closings include: Bograshov Street (excluding the section between Ben Yehuda and HaYarkon Streets), Ben Yehuda (from Allenby Street up to Nordau Boulevard, both directions) King George Street (from Allenby up to Dizengoff Street, both directions), HaYarkon Street (from Allenby to Nordau, running north, and from Nordau to Gordon Street, running south) and Tchernichovsky Street beginning at Bograshov. In addition to the street closings, sections of roads that lead onto the closed streets will be blocked off. Streets will close in stages, according to the pace of the parade. Police recommend that drivers avoid entering central Tel Aviv.
