The Eurovision Song Contest final is this upcoming Saturday and Israel’s Netta Barzilai is a strong contender with “Toy.” Twenty years ago, Israeli singer Dana International cemented Eurovision as a celebratory space for LGBTQ people everywhere with her winning song Diva. But, she admits, she didn’t believe in the song when she first heard it. […]
Walla! News suggests Dana International for the role of the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs. In a festive video interview for Israel’s 70th Independence Day last week, veteran journalist Sagi Bin-Nun set down with Dana to reflect on 20 years since her grand Eurovision win with the song Diva. Since then, she has represented the […]
If one man links Israel’s pop music scene to the LGBT community’s emergence out of the closet, it’s the enigmatic Offer Nissim. Ha’aretz sheds light on one of the most intriguing and secretive figures in Israeli culture. “Offer Nissim embodies the story of the maturing of the LGBT community of Israel in general, both accompanying it and […]
Israel’s Eurovision Song Contest entry has caused a huge stir and is now the hot favorite to win the Eurovision Song Contest in May. Netta Barzilai’s entry Toy brings the crazy factor back to Eurovision, but the song carries a strong message with lyrics inspired by the #MeToo movement. Its release on the week of […]
Bezeq International’s new TV ad, starring Dana International, sparked a debate in the LGBTQ community in Israel about the use of Dana’s past as a little boy and its implications for the transgender community. In the ad, Bezeq International’s parrot comes to Dana’s rescue and saves her from hacking into her Facebook account. In order […]
The 1990s were the great breakthrough for LGBT representation on the silver screen in Israel. With the visibility that began at the beginning of the decade, there was an attempt to present diverse, colorful figures whose sexuality is meaningful but not all they have to offer. From “Straight to the Point,” through Dana International’s first […]
#MeToo: Following the sexual misconduct allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein, American women of all ages and backgrounds shared achingly painful stories of sexual harassment and assault. The growing number of voices inspired women in Israel to come out with their own sexual harassment stories. Transgender Israeli singer Dana International wrote about the growing movement […]
The song “Ir Shlema” (A Full City) by Dana International has been selected to lead this year’s A Wider Brunch, the biggest annual Pro-Israel LGBTQ event in the United States. “Ir Shlema” follows “Silsulim” by Statik and Ben El Tavori, that led last year’s event, and “Golden Boy” by Nadav Guadj which was the theme […]
After months of worry, Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest is safe – at least for next year. According to the EBU, which runs the annual singing contest, Israel will be allowed to participate in the 2018 Eurovision in Portugal but its permanent membership – and future participation – is still in jeopardy. Famed […]
Transgender superstar Dana International was surprised to meet a devoted fan from Lebanon, Daniel, who came to meet his idol.”I know that Dana’s personal story is something big,” Daniel said, “but she’s more than that, she’s a symbol of freedom, she’s a symbol of tolerance.” During a big party held in London over the weekend, […]