LGBT rights in Israel
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) rights in Israel are considered the most developed in the Middle East.[2][3][4][5][6][7] Although same-sex sexual activity was legalized in 1988, the former law against sodomy had not been enforced since a court decision in 1963. Israel became the first country in Asia to recognize unregistered cohabitation between same-sex couples, making it the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex unions in any capacity. Although same-sex marriages are not performed in the country (as it does not have civil non-religious marriages), Israel recognizes same-sex marriages performed elsewhere. Discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was prohibited in 1992. Same-sex couples are allowed to jointly adopt, following a landmark court decision in 2008. Previously, stepchild adoption, as well as limited co-guardianship rights for non-biological parents, were permitted. LGBT people are also allowed to serve openly in the military.
LGBT rights in Israel | |
---|---|
Status | Legal since 1988 (but no record of enforcement of "buggery" law before this, and the Attorney General declared that laws against homosexuality would not be enforced in 1963) |
Gender identity | Legal sex change possible |
Military | Mandatory Enlistment includes LGBT people serving openly |
Discrimination protections | Sexual orientation protection in employment and other services; both sexual orientation and gender identity protections in schools (see below) |
Family rights | |
Recognition of relationships | Unregistered cohabitation since 1994; Same-sex marriages performed outside of Israel recognized since 2006, recognition of same-sex unions inside Tel-Aviv Yafo since 2020 |
Restrictions | Only marriages sanctioned by the religious authorities may be performed within Israel (this also applies to opposite-sex couples who are not eligible for religious weddings) |
Adoption | Same-sex couples allowed to adopt[1] |
Tel Aviv was referred to by the Calgary Herald as one of the most gay-friendly cities in the world,[8] famous for its annual Pride parade and gay beach,[9] earning it the nickname "the gay capital of the Middle East" by Out magazine.[10] According to users of the website GayCities, it was ranked as the best gay city in 2011,[11] despite reports of some anti-LGBT violence during the 2000s,[12] which were criticized by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Shimon Peres. A monument dedicated to the gay victims of the Holocaust was erected in Tel Aviv in 2014.[13]
In 2018 an opinion poll commissioned by Channel 10 News during Pride Month reported that 58% of Israeli citizens support the legalization of same-sex marriage,[14] however in 2023 an international poll commissioned by the Pew Research Center reported that only 36% of Israeli citizens support same-sex marriage, while 56% oppose it.[15]
An opinion poll commissioned by Israel's Labor and Welfare Ministry in 2017 reported that 60% of Israelis support adoptions by same-sex couples.[16]
During International Pride Month on 21 June 2020, Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality announced that same-sex couples would have exactly the same rights as opposite-sex marriages there, with this being provided by the municipality. Marriages inside the municipality will be legally recognized as others.[17]