The toughest part (!) of  my ‘other’ day job as a Media Reporter for PTV is pronouncing un-familiar names so I’m kind of happy that it’s my ‘day off’ today and I will not be having to tell the world the latest news from HaBima, Israel’s national theater, in Tel Aviv.

Yesterday Ta’alin Abu Hanna, 21,  an Israeli Catholic Arab ballet dancer from Nazareth, wore a white bridal dress as she was declared the very first “Miss Trans Israel”.    That is quite a mouthful for me to stumble upon.  

She will receive $15,000 worth of plastic surgery treatments from a hospital in Thailand, plus airfare and a hotel stay during the treatments and recovery, and  will now represent Israel at the Miss Trans Star International pageant in Spain in August — the first time that an Israeli will participate.

Celebrations aside, in a sharp reminder of what an extraordinary achievement this was Abu Hanna said it all could’ve been a much different story: ‘If I had not been in Israel and had been elsewhere — in Palestine or in any other Arab country — I might have been oppressed or I might have been in prison or murdered.’

It was a great way to kick off Tel Aviv Gay Pride which officially starts today.