So, it may come as a surprise that one of the largest Gay Pride parades in the world is held in a tiny country in the heart of the Middle East, in a city consistently rated one of the best places for gays to live and visit: Tel Aviv, Israel. The Middle East is also home to the societies with the most anti-gay views. This revelation shocked the world when the Islamic State posted photos of its members allegedly stoning to death and throwing gay men off of buildings in Iraq and Syria. With ISIS now controlling much of Iraq and Syria, there is a de-facto death penalty for homosexuality there as well. In report after report, countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen are singled out for imposing the harshest penalties for homosexual activity, including death and lashings. TEL AVIV, Israel - The Middle East isn’t exactly the first place that comes to mind when we think of LGBT equality.
