Speaker for National Coming Out Day: Captain Ofer Erez

In honor of National Coming Out Day, a Wider Bridge is bringing Captain Ofer Erez to Portland. Ofer is the first transgender service member to rank as an officer in the Israeli Defense Forces. During his army service Ofer led an historical change with regard to the army’s regulations on enlisting trans-gender soldiers and was an advisor on LGBTQ-related issues in the IDF and an adviser to the US and Canadian armies on inclusivity. This past spring Ofer completed his service with the IDF and became the CEO of the Jerusalem Open House, a long time LGBTQ community center in Jerusalem and the organizer of the Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance.

The Jerusalem Open House is one of seven LGBTQ grantees in Israel funded by a Wider Bridge with the generous support of over 1000 members across North America.