In 1993, almost a decade before Uzi Even would make history as the first openly gay person to serve in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, he took part in the first-ever Knesset meeting on the subject of queer people serving openly in the military. This turned Even, who was dismissed from the Israel Defense Forces when they discovered that he was gay, into a national celebrity, and lead the government to change the laws to allow queer people to serve in the military.
From there, working diligently over the years, his marriage, the adoption of his son, and his eventual divorce, were all among the first to be legally recognized in Israel, setting a legal precedent for other queer couples in the country. Now 78, Even talks about his experience with conversion therapy, the ongoing battles for LGBTQ rights in Israel, and his hopes for the future of Israel.
LGBTQ&A is hosted and produced by Jeffrey Masters. @jeffmasters1
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