TEL AVIV, Israel, June 13 (UPI) -- Tens of thousands of people filled Tel Aviv, Israel's Gan Meir park Friday to witness the start of the Middle East's largest gay pride parade.
The vibrant and colorful event was the conclusion of a seven-day festival of gay culture, and the 16th annual parade in what many consider the world's "best gay city." Israel is the only country in the middle East in which homosexuality is not proscribed by law, and a large and influential gay community can be found in Tel Aviv.