“Hey, It Ain’t Europe Here”: The Emergence of Israel’s First Mizrahi Gay Dance Party

Nightclubs and bars are more than leisure spaces allowing participants to forget daily troubles and have fun; they are also political sites that illuminate social and cultural tensions and conflicts. This ethnographic study examines the first Israeli Mizrahi gay party—Arisa—which was dedicated to presenting Mizrahi culture (i.e., the cultural products of Jewish communities who immigrated to Israel from North Africa and Islamic countries). Arisa was a queer initiative that worked to strengthen the socio-cultural status of Mizrahi culture in the local Israeli LGBTQ+ community, which is often perceived and led by Ashkenazi (European) and American characteristics and representatives. We argue that this innovative party, as an ethnic-heterotopic space, reflects liminal moments which intersect between sexuality, gender and ethnicity. On the one hand, Mizrahi gay partygoers felt a sense of belonging to their ethnic group and celebrated their identity. Additionally, Arisa advanced other marginalized groups, opening the door for Israeli-Arab, Ethiopian, and Orthodox gay people to feel comfortable. On the other, Arisa served to reinforce certain Mizrahi stereotypes and stigmas. Thus, we suggest that this particular case highlights how social exclusion mechanisms in queer spaces are reproduced and undergo transformations.