Photo of gay soldiers on IDF Facebook page causes stir

[King_David]

June 12, 2012

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- A photo posted on the Israel Defense Forces website in honor of Pride Month, showing two male soldiers in uniform holding hands, has caused a stir.

The photo posted Monday and captioned "It's Pride Month. Did you know that the IDF treats all of its soldiers equally?" had garnered more than 7,800 likes and more than 5,800 shares as of Tuesday afternoon.

The more than 1,130 comments express both happiness and disgust at the photo, though positive comments appear to outnumber the negative by a large margin.

"Beautiful picture, proud to be an Israeli!!!!!!!!!" one comment reads. A combat soldier who identifies himself as gay comments that the photo "is absolutely reflective of how the Israeli army treats gays."

Conversely, one comments reads, "This is disgusting," and another says "too bad for them unless they repent."

"Pinkwashing in action," reads another comment, referring to accusations that Israel focuses on its openness to homosexuality to hide how it treats the Palestinians.


http://www.jta.org/news/article/2012/06/12/3098021/photo-of-gay-soldiers-on-idf-facebook-page-causes-stir0



http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=425165480839661&set=a.250335824989295.62131.125249070831305&type=3&theater

[xfundy]

1. WTF should anyone else care?

I sense a lot of jealousy in most comments about gay couples being open — and far more restrained in their PDAs than most hets.

IMO, the same thing goes with labeling it a "choice" – what they leave out is "I quit doing it after that certain summer. I still want to, but I go to church to give my business exposure and get me my customers, so I have to pretend I believe it all that stuff. And if I speak up loudly against it, everyone will know I'd never do that!"

Or, I believe, at least in the old days, "Besides, there's always the YMCA/hunting lodge for that!"

[MADem]

2. Really...it's almost like they are saying "How DARE you be happy!!" nt

[xfundy]

3. Take out "almost" and you're there.

on edit:

Take out "it's almost like."

Hell, replace it with, "How dare you be happy!?!?! I want to do that but since I pretend to believe the shit spewed from my pastor I must condemn you even though I want to do all that, and desperately!"