TimesOnline.co.uk – Carolynne Wheeler in Jerusalem
For four years it stood as an oasis of tolerance in Jerusalem: a place where drag queens, ultra-Orthodox Jews and Palestinians could hang out, dance and drink pints, side by side.
But Shushan, the city’s only gay and lesbian bar, has closed, leaving its loyal patrons with a deep sense of loss. “Shushan was one of the few places where we could feel that we were in a free world,” said Yan Carmel, 21, a Hebrew University student who is a member of a gay youth coalition.
In this conservative holy city, where a gay pride parade can bring rare unity to angry bearded religious leaders from all faiths, and the sight of men displaying affection in the street draws stares or worse, Shushan provided a haven.