The story of Israel as a bastion of sexual tolerance has been very well-reported: Tel Aviv is the homo-HQ of the Middle East, with an air of openness and tolerance that rivals Chelsea or the Castro.
But as is often the case in the Gaystream, Israel’s tale of Queer acceptance has typically focused on Gay men and not their Lesbian counterparts.
But thanks to some much-welcomed foresight by local Israeli Lesbians, that could soon change.
Indeed, some 70 Lesbians got together last week for the first-ever meeting of The Girlfriends Club – a social, cultural and economic forum for Israeli Lesbians.
The event was the brainchild of 35 year-old Laor Dotan-Ad, who started the group as a way for women like herself to meet…well…other women like herself following a painful break-up.
“We had a horrible breakup. Breaking up with a woman is much worse than with a man. Women are meaner towards each other,” she says. “I realized that strong women of the lesbian community were nowhere to be found, they were hiding in their homes.”
The event was meant to help such women get out of the house — and hopefully onto each other’s radar screens.
Along with hosting monthly mixers like the one last week, the Club will also host social events for corporate types, day trips out of town and compiling a list of female service providers (electricians, auto-repairwomen) for the benefit of forum members.
The club’ focus on businesswomen and corporate types certainly has a “power-Lesbian” kind of vibe. But then the first-meeting also lured a handful of Straight ladies as well (Charlotte, anyone!)
The Club is still in its infancy, but Israelis are super-social creatures and rarely need an excuse to meet-and-greet. Best of all, it will provide members with a safe space to be themselves in a society that is still pretty macho.
Good luck!