Tel Aviv hosts gay pride parade

TEL AVIV, Israel, June 12 (UPI) -- Israel's annual gay pride parade kicked off Friday in Tel Aviv under a blazing sun.

The parade will culminate with a large street party at one of the city's beaches in the late afternoon.

Five homosexual couples will be married in a special ceremony during the festivities, The Jerusalem Post said. A heavy police presence will be deployed along the route of the parade to ensure the event runs smoothly.

Tel Aviv's gay community is used to promote Israel abroad, one daily newspaper said. Coinciding with the parade is a city sponsored five-day program, which began Wednesday, promoting Israel as the only "country in the Middle East where homosexuality is legal."

The newspaper Haaretz said the program, called iPride, brought together a group of 30 gay opinion shapers and activists from western countries affiliated with the U.S.-Israeli advocacy group StandWithUs. The newspaper said during the program the visitors will meet with their Israeli counterparts who are active in show business as well as with representatives from the Israeli army and legal system.