Israel's top LGBTQ+ advocacy group changes leadership after five years

• Published date: 23 September 2021
• Author: TZVI JOFFRE
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

"It was a very stormy and interesting period," said Hezki to The Jerusalem Post. "Not just the Aguda, but all the organizations took a really significant part in positioning the LGBTQ+ struggle as one of the most significant and central struggles in Israeli discourse. There are no politicians today who aren't challenged by the subject, who don't deal with it."

Hezki's entrance to the position came at a time of uncertainty for the Aguda, as it marked 40 years since it was founded. "The Aguda was a very insignificant organization in the community.... There was a kind of identity crisis for the Aguda; it wasn't so clear what its role was."

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While the Aguda was the central LGBTQ organization in Israel in the '80s and '90s, a number of other organizations sprouted up throughout the years, with each one taking on a role for a specific sector or purpose in the LGBTQ community.

Hezki had come out relatively late at the age of 27 and had worked previously in informal education with the Scouts, before applying for the position of director-general. "When I came out, I started to be more aware of LGBTQ+ issues, and I understood it wasn't enough for me just to talk about education and change, and that I really wanted to take a part within the struggle."

Although Hezki arrived without much experience, he quickly got to work.

Hezki entered the role in 2016, as the community was shaken by the murder of Shira Banki at the Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance in 2015. He and the Aguda's board led the organization to take on a number of central roles in the LGBTQ community, starting with building bridges between the 18 different organizations that make up the community.

The Aguda also began to take an active role in lobbying the government, both on the national and local level.

"Most of the cities didn't deal with LGBTQ+ subjects," explained Hezki. "This was something that we decided would be on the Aguda's agenda, and in addition the Aguda would also promote the needs of the members of the community who are impacted by LGBTQ-phobia and inequality and hate."

The organization is contacted about 6,000 times every year by people requiring services offered by the Aguda, including legal services, reporting LGBTQ-phobia, psychosocial services and projects for Arab society and LGBTQ refugees.

Hezki explained that the community felt abandoned...