Pride Event Will Go On at Israeli University

A university spokesman says he was 'stupid' for comparing homosexuality to pedophilia.

Trudy Ring

Trudy Ring is The Advocate’s senior politics editor and copy chief. She has been a reporter and editor for daily newspapers and LGBTQ+ weeklies/monthlies, trade magazines, and reference books. She is a political junkie who thinks even the wonkiest details are fascinating, and she always loves to see political candidates who are groundbreaking in some way. She enjoys writing about other topics as well, including religion (she’s interested in what people believe and why), literature, theater, and film. Trudy is a proud “old movie weirdo” and loves the Hollywood films of the 1930s and ’40s above all others. Other interests include classic rock music (Bruce Springsteen rules!) and history. Oh, and she was a Jeopardy! contestant back in 1998 and won two games. Not up there with Amy Schneider, but Trudy still takes pride in this achievement.

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Trudy Ring

June 12 2015 5:10 PM EST

November 17 2015 5:28 AM EST

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Officials at Bar-Ilan University in Israel have decided to allow a once-canceled LGBT Pride event, and a university spokesman has apologized for a statement comparing homosexuality to pedophilia.

The university and the National Union of Israeli students announced Thursday that the event, set for Sunday, could go on, The Jerusalem Post reports. LGBT organizations will set up information booths in public spaces on campus, and musicians will perform between classes.

Earlier in the week, Bar-Ilan officials had said the event could not go on as planned due to the university's religious character and proposed an alternative event; students said the university administrators proposed counseling by rabbis and pscyhologists for LGBT attendees; the school denied that claim.

But criticism by LGBT activists focused on university spokesman Haim Zisowitz, who told Israeli newspaper Haaretz that allowing an LGBT event would be like hosting one that celebrates pedophilia. While claiming his comments were taken out of context, he apologized via Facebook, saying he wanted to use an example of something that would violate Jewish religious law and "for some reason, I chose pedophilia," a decision he characterized retrospectively as "stupid." He also said he is not antigay and that he supports civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.