Israeli army shows gay soldier support

Israeli army shows gay soldier support

The Israeli Defense Force (IDF) has posted a photo of two male soldiers holding hands to its official Facebook page to celebrate Pride Month.

“It’s Pride Month. Did you know that the IDF treats all of its soldiers equally?” the image caption reads.

The image shows two soldiers strolling hand in hand through a Tel Aviv street and has nearly 4000 shares and more than 5,500 likes.

Israel was one of the first countries to abolish restrictions on openly-gay soldiers serving in the military and has prohibited gay discrimination in the armed forces since 1993.

Despite the military policies, however, a 2011 study showed more than 40 percent of gay and lesbian soldiers in the IDF say they have been harassed because of their sexuality.

Haaretz reported last year that 45 percent of respondents claimed homophobic remarks remained frequent, with soldiers in combat units reporting them more frequently.

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