11 sexy and intimate images of queer men and allies in Haifa
“We had countless requests from readers to make an issue in Israel,” says Elska editor and chief photographer Liam Campbell, “though undoubtedly it was Tel Aviv that they were hoping for."
Elska, the queer magazine focusing on the lives of everyday queer men in global cities, is focusing on Haifa, Israel for its next instalment.
Described as Israel’s “most diverse city” by Elska’s editor, readers can get to know locals with Jewish, Arab, and post-Soviet backgrounds through the intimate photography and personal stories included in the issue.
In a statement, Elska editor Liam Campbell explained why he chose Haifa to platform over the most famously gay-friendly Haifa.
“The city’s beautiful sun, sea and mountains setting, made the choice easy.” – Liam Campbell, editor of Elska
“We had countless requests from readers to make an issue in Israel,” he explains. “Though undoubtedly it was Tel Aviv that they were hoping for.
“However, I felt strongly that if we were to take Elska to this country then we needed to ensure particularly that we would include men from Arab and Jewish backgrounds in particular. However when we looked at Tel Aviv’s demographic statistics, revealing the Jewish population at 92%, we knew it wouldn’t be the right choice.”
“So we looked at Haifa, the country’s third-largest city,” Campbell, also Elska’s chief photographer, went on. “Which boasts almost equal proportions of Jews, Arabs, and people from the former Soviet Union. This fact, plus the city’s beautiful sun, sea and mountains setting, made the choice easy.”
Added Campbell: “Even with Haifa’s diversity, the vast majority of people who responded to our call for participants came from Jews, perhaps suggesting that their community was less conservative or more LGBTQ-friendly.
“But rather than ignore the issue, I told our Jewish subjects about our goals and they were extremely helpful to spread the word to their non-Jewish friends, passionate that a view of Israel as a multi-ethnic, multi- religious state must be portrayed. Despite the various troubles that beset this land, the issue we made here turned out more hopeful and harmonious than we could have imagined.”
For more information, visit elskamagazine.com.