Obituaries

Honor Gay Leaders?

Eli Senyor
YnetNews.com

Tel Aviv

R

epresentatives of the homo-
sexual community in Tel Aviv
issued a demand to Tel Aviv
Mayor Ron Huldai to name streets after
leaders of their community.
Spearheading this effort is former
council member Itai Pinkas, who even
suggested commemorating American
politician Harvey Milk, a gay activist
of Jewish ancestry. Milk was the first
outwardly gay figure to serve in San
Francisco city hall.
Pinkas also suggested naming a street
after Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, a German
Jew and one of the pioneers of gay rights

in the world, and film director Amos
Guttman.
Pinkas claimed that the municipal
commemoration committee,
which is charged with the
task of commemorating cen-
tral figures who have contrib-
ute to Tel Aviv, cannot ignore
the fact that gay community
has played a significant role
in shaping the city's cultural,
social, and recreational land-
scape. According to him, the
gay community is a central
element of Tel Aviv as a city.
Harvey

on Tel Aviv street naming. In his letter,
Pinkas suggested that streets be named
after Milk and Hirschfeld and asked
that Huldai to take measures
ensuring that this becomes
a reality.
"In the current state of
affairs, in which we do not
find it fitting to name after
a person of such largesse
a street in our city despite
repeated attempts to this
end for more than a decade,
I am left with no choice but
to conclude that this is bad,
Milk
old-fashioned homophobia
'Correct this wrong'
and to ask you, the mayor, as someone
Pinkas drafted his letter to Huldai when
who has excelled in his sensitivity and
it became known to him that the com-
understanding of the community's
mittee was slated to hold a discussion
needs, to correct this wrong:' wrote

Pinkas to Huldai.
"Let us take advantage of this unique
opportunity in which tens of thou-
sands of residents of our city have been
exposed to the achievements of Harvey
Milk upon watching the multiple Oscar-
winning movie made on his life, and
take measures to name streets after the
three dearest and most deserving people
to have a street named after them. Our
streets are worthy of them:' Pinkas con-
cluded in his letter.
The Tel Aviv municipality said in
response, "Itai Pinkas' request is befitting,
but not imperative. Indeed, the commit-
tee of names and commemoration never
dealt with the question of the sexual
identity of any candidate, nor his or her
gender, ancestry, religion or otherwise,
but with his social contribution alone

worthy

A life well lived

A tradition well served

We strive to honor each person
with dignity and respect

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