SAN FRANCISCO – A Wider Bridge, the LGBTQ advocacy group building connections between the Israeli and North American LGBTQ communities, announced today a groundbreaking U.S. tour with leaders of the Ethiopian Israeli LGBTQ community. The U.S. tour, presented by A Wider Bridge, will introduce KALA (Hebrew abbreviation of Kehila Lahatavit Ethiopit translated to ‘LGBT Ethiopian Community’) to North America for the first time to facilitate collaboration between diverse communities in the areas of advocacy, human rights and cultural exchange.
“KALA is an extraordinary group of LGBTQ Ethiopian Israelis that is increasing its efforts to address the challenges they face, including discrimination, a relative lack of upward socio-economic mobility and the traditional attitudes of their own families and communities.” said Arthur Slepian, executive director of Wider Bridge. “As their community has grown in Israel, KALA works to raise awareness of sexuality and gender issues within the Ethiopian community in Israel and A Wider Bridge is honored to bring the group to the United States.”
The inaugural visit of KALA to the United States is intrinsic to A Wider Bridge’s mission of enabling LGBTQ leaders in Israel and North America to build authentic and meaningful relationships. Through community receptions and events in five major cities across the United States, A Wider Bridge will enable KALA leaders to share their stories and build relationships with communities and new allies in North America.
KALA’s advocacy and fellowship for Israeli LGBTQ Ethiopians helps community members manage the duality, and sometimes conflicting challenge, of being both LGBTQ and Ethiopian in Israel. Because of the significant cultural sensitivity that exists in the Israeli Ethiopian community, a part of KALA’s community is still defined as confidential in order to safeguard those who have yet to reveal their sexual orientation or gender identity.
The upcoming tour will kick off on April 17, and will begin in San Francisco. The cities that the leaders of KALA will visit will be as follows:
- April 17, San Francisco, CA
- April 20, Los Angeles, CA
- April 25, Chicago, IL
- April 27, New York City, NY
- April 28, Washington DC
For more information on each location and registration, visit awiderbridge.eventbrite.com
