250,000 join Middle East's biggest gay pride parade

[Behind the Aegis]

Tens of thousands of revellers lined the streets of Israel’s seaside city of Tel Aviv on Friday for the largest gay pride event in the Middle East.

Men and women in colourful costumes, including several dressed as samba dancers, paraded through the streets on motorised floats or sashayed alongside.

One float depicted a gym, with musclebound young men in shorts, and another held drummers and dancers.

Loudspeakers blasted dance tunes and favourites from last month’s Eurovision song contest, which was held in Tel Aviv.

With the temperature Friday at a balmy 28 degrees Celsius clothing was for the most part minimal.

Rainbow flags fluttered in the Mediterranean breeze alongside those of Israel and the United States.

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