There is nothing to be proud of: it is the LGBT people who choose to perpetuate the stereotypes | Israel Today

A group of celebs, film people, media people and ticket buyers arrived last week for the opening event of the 17th Gay Film Festival at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque.

After mingling and drinking a little, they entered the festive ceremony.

"Ofra is receiving an award, shall we not come?"

I heard at the entrance.

"Ofra" is the familiar nickname of DJ Ofer Nissim, one of the most recognizable symbols of the gay community in Israel and the most successful artists in the local industry, whose every grandiose show is completely sold out, despite repeated criticism of the high ticket prices.

In this case too - if Ofra comes, then the community comes.

Only Ofra didn't come.

Although Nissim wrote the music for the opening film of the festival which was screened immediately after, he was "prevented from coming" to the ceremony itself, according to the festival's spokespersons.

The opening of a film festival is a big and important event.

In Jerusalem it was "Triangle of Sorrows", winner of the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival;

In Haifa it was "Don't worry my dear", starring Harry Styles and Florence Pugh;

And the gay film festival selected "Like There's No Tomorrow" with local celebs Israel Oglebo and Dean Miroshnikov.

So far so good.

But then the movie started, and from the beginning to the end all we got on the screen was a collection of scenes based on repeated verbs and very low from the world of the bed, multiple frames of buttocks in every possible position and from every angle you don't want, and for dessert - more and more hard drugs of various kinds, because How is it possible without it when talking about the gay community?

Did someone say plot?

"The films are more about people's daily lives and dilemmas," the artistic director of the festival, Yair Hochner, said in an interview with the media, on the eve of its opening.

"We really try to bring films that deserve to be seen by every lover of quality cinema."

Judging by the opening film, you must have already understood that the connection between talk and action is tenuous.

This event was nothing short of embarrassing, not to mention its outrage, and in my view it is the epitome of the ills of the LGBT struggle. Do you want equal rights? Do you want to shatter the myths, the stigmas and the prejudices? Do you want to live here quietly and peacefully like the rest of the "normal" citizens? Start In formulating an up-to-date and kicking statement that will mark the burning future struggles, and not the tired clichés of the past.

It is not possible that the one who reinforces, asserts and hangs on billboards the wild and celebrated gay image - the one whose lifestyle includes only sex, drugs and performing miracles - is the one who also "deals with people's daily lives and dilemmas".

What were those "lovers of quality cinema" supposed to think when leaving there, not affected by the stereotypes that many members of the community are trying to stop?

Is this your vision?

And were all those LGBT people who came to the event to pay respect to the cinema and not to Ofra, supposed to identify with this representation?

While LGBT people occupy key positions in politics, in government offices, in high-tech and in the military, the choice to present the stereotypical image chosen by the people of the festival is a sin against the real achievements that each and every one of them achieved with great effort. After all, they are the ones who embody change and progress in their lives. LGBT identities, and it's time to bring the necessarily non-provocative ones to the fore.

Otherwise how will we move forward, and where exactly?

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