Being unapologetically Iranian, Jewish and LGBTQ+ in a war zone

“Iranian, Jewish, LGBTQ+.” That’s the first line you’ll read on activist Matthew Nouriel’s Instagram page. With over 58,000 followers, Nouriel uses his platform to advocate for all parts of his identity, from women in Iran to Jews in Israel and LGBTQ+ people across the Middle East.

But his identity has never intersected more dramatically than last month, when Nouriel arrived in Israel for Tel Aviv Pride, only to find himself living through a war with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Prior to the conflict, Nouriel had travelled from LA to Israel as part of the Jewish Federations of North America’s Pride Delegation, with a group of nearly 100 LGBTQ+ Jewish people. The trip ended just one day before the outbreak of the war, which saw the Tel Aviv Pride parade cancelled and all accompanying events postponed.

“A lot of the LGBTQ+ community in Israel has felt very isolated from the global LGBTQ+ community,” Nouriel told The Jewish Independent.

“We wanted to be there in solidarity with them [in Israel] and show them look, there’s a hundred of us. This is just a small slice of the entire population that's standing very much behind you.”

Being an outspoken advocate for both LGBTQ+ and Jewish people has always been important to Nouriel.