The Israeli Air Force celebrated the nation’s Family Day this past weekend by posting photos of different military families on Instagram and Facebook. One of those five couples happened to be a gay couple — Captain Adir Gabbai and his husband Dean, with their dog. The pair reportedly met in the Air Force.
Accompanying the photo, in Hebrew and English, were the words “This is our #family.”
The photo was met with praise and encouragement by many, while others criticized its inclusion, going to far as to call it an “abomination.”
That vitriol, though, was met with a great response from the Air Force:
In honor of Family Day, we have chosen to carry out a project presenting all of the kinds of families that serve in the air force, including, also, same-sex families,” an air force rep commented. “From our standpoint, they are all equal and all of us are one big family. Wishing you a Happy Family Day and a wonderful week.
But despite the Air Force’s meaningful gesture, same-sex marriage continues to be illegal, and same-sex couples are not able to adopt children they’re not already connected to. And last Sunday, on the eve of LGBT Rights Day, Israeli legislators voted down three bills promoting LGBTQ rights, also postponing a vote on civil unions and a ban on conversion therapy for minors.
