Court: Jerusalem Must Fund LGBT Center

The supreme court of Israel ruled Tuesday that the municipality of Jerusalem must finance the LGBT center Open House with $120,000.

According to YNet News, Open House appealed to the supreme court after years of legal battles, including a short-lived victory in an administrative court that resulted in limited funding from the city in the years 2003-2005.

"Justices Esther Hayut, Hanan Melcer, and Isaac Amit wrote in their verdict that the municipality must expand funding for community centers in such a manner that it will include those of the LGBT community and others like it," reported YNet News.

Justice Amit mentioned antigay Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and noted that proper behavior toward LGBT people was one of the characteristics that should distinguish the democratic state of Israel from "most of the Mideast states near and far, in which members of the gay community are persecuted by the government and society."