A gunman opened fire at the basement location of the LGBT Tel Aviv Community Center on Saturday night, killing two and wounding 11 others. He remains at large.
The Center was a haven for LGBT youth and their friends. The two who died were Nir Katz, 26, and Liz Trobishi, 16. Katz was gay and a counselor for the group. Trobishi was straight, and had written at the Center’s online forum: “Although I am not a part of the Igy community I really love being with them. I connected with a lot of people, met a lot of nice people and am not sorry for any moment.” (Haaretz via Law Dork.)
LGBT-related hate crimes and harassment are not solely a “gay” issue. Until we pass LGBT-inclusive hate crimes laws and more importantly, take steps to educate people and create a more understanding and welcoming society, everybody’s children are at risk. They are also at risk everywhere. “The biggest shock is to think that it happened in Tel Aviv, which is the most tolerant city in the country,” said one Israeli LGBT activist in response to the shooting. In the U.S., to take just one example, the anti-LGBT harassment that drove 11-year-old Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover to suicide happened in Massachusetts, arguably the most open-minded state in the country in terms of LGBT rights and acceptance.
It may seem silly to focus on these two deaths when there has been so much death across Israel and across the region over the years, with many innocent children and youth as victims. These two deaths are not made less tragic because of the others, though. I also believe that creating a culture of peace and acceptance across all the categories that divide people will help stop both the isolated hate crimes and the more systematic violence. If I knew how to achieve it, however, I would probably have a very different job. In the meantime, I do what I can to foster peace in the places where I do have an impact.
My heart goes out to the families and friends of the victims, and to the entire Tel Aviv LGBT community.
Anti-LGBT hatred is everyone’s issue.