Jerusalem held its first LGBT drag queen race this week. Photo: Screenshot from Reuters video.

JNS.org – The LGBT community in Jerusalem held a first-of-its-kind drag queen race this week, in which all the 40 participants needed to run in high heels without falling. The city’s LGBT student organization organized the race, with partial funding from the Jerusalem municipality.

“This is what’s so exciting about this, that the municipality supports this concept for the first time, it really gives the feeling of a home, and finally we’ve moved centuries and we’re going towards a better future,” said Lady Chocolate, an Israeli soldier by day and drag queen by night.

“[I am] very excited, very happy. I’m a native. I was born in Jerusalem. I still live in Jerusalem and it’s so much fun to see this happening in this city. It’s about time,” drag queen Bella To Die For, who works in the city’s Mahane Yehuda open-air food market during the day, said.

Event organizers held the race, which also included musical performances by the drag queen participants, despite opposition from religious groups in Jerusalem.

“I think it’s very important that the event is happening, especially here. Jerusalem is the capital of Israel. Our congress, the Knesset, is here. It’s important for the people of this city that they realize there is a massive mature gay community as well. It is not an ultra-Orthodox city. We have gay people in the city as well,” said Leshem Brosh, one of the race’s organizers, Reuters reported.