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Photo: Ziv Sade

It’s tolerant and it doesn’t sleep, there is a reason behind the amazingness and creative force that we call Tel Aviv and that is individuals like Anat Nir. She parties/plays and lays the rules that have changed the way women do business in the city, she is kind of amazing! Check out what she had to say!

Who is Anat Nir ?

I am a social entrepreneur and publicist in Israel’s LGBT community for the past 13 years. At the age of 21 I opened “Makom”, one of the very first lesbian bars in Tel Aviv. Along with my business partner, Dana Ziv, under the brand “Dana ve Anat”, I organized numerous amount of lesbian events, becoming one of the leading and influential characters of Tel Aviv’s LGBT cultural sphere. Notwithstanding my growing business in the LGBT community, I became chief marketing officer of the “Feminanci” college, a unique academy aiming to financially empower women in the changing economy and advance equality between genders. I was nominated as co-director of the Tel Aviv Gay Vibe, a tourism campaign sponsored by Tel Aviv Municipality and the Ministry of Tourism. This international project includes global advertisement and international event production.

You are some sort of Party Queen, how long have you planned parties ?

A party queen sounds dazzling. I’ll go for it. If so, I hold this crown for 11 years now.

The level of products involved in Party promotion in Israel is impressive (Video Ads etc…) is it hard to up each initiative ?

The level of production and party promotion in Israel is very high. There are creative, fabulous, talented, professional, experienced, happy people within the party scene here who are a motivating force and an inspiration to me. My business partner, Dana Ziv and I love to reinvent ourselves. learn. develop.

Here are some video ads of ours that I like best: SHE.J, Lethal Lesbian film festival, Sex Manifesto

Tel Aviv Nightlife is becoming bigger and bigger, what do you think is so special about TLV ?

The motto of Tel Aviv is “the city that never sleeps”, that explains a lot. Add the sun, an urban city on the Mediterranean sea, and the beautiful people and there you have it. I also believe that since life in this region is complicated that’s exactly when and the need to express and create grows.

You are very involved with Tel Aviv Gay Vibe, tell us about your involvement and the goals of the initiative

Tel Aviv Gay Vibe is a campaign we started 3 years ago, promoting LGBT tourism to Tel Aviv. I co-direct the project. The goal is simple – exposing the world to our wonderful gay city. In 2012 we aim to promote more lesbian tourism to Tel Aviv so that we have planned the year with many lesbian focused activities. We just got back from a European tour, 4 women parties in 5 days in which we took part with our DJ, video art, and information stand.

Tel Aviv Vibe on Facebook

Tel Aviv Vibe Website

How would you describe Lesbian life in Israel? Is the nightlife comparable to other major cities?

In most communities and gay cities the lesbians are far behind the gay men. You have to develop detective-like skills to find activities, culture, and nightlife. In Tel Aviv you have the Tel Aviv Gay Vibe application free for download which lets you know of all the LGBT events available each and every day in the city.

Women have amazing activities all week long and parties during the weekend. After being around the world in many gay cities I can certainly say that Tel Aviv is a lesbian heaven! It is easy to walk, the weather is warm, the beach runs from north to south, we have a large, diverse lesbian community and beautiful women all over the city. And of course, the women parties are known to be from the best in the world.

I’ve recently read about a women only party with 14 women Israeli Djs, that sounds awesome, tell us about it.

Back in 2002 Dana and I started an event called SHE.J, exposing and promoting women DJs. We thought (and still think) that it’s a field of work in which women are not equal to men. We wanted to support amazing professional DJs in their way to success. And indeed many DJs who started their way with us are today leading the scene and after a decade of work there is no major party line in Tel Aviv that doesn’t have at least one female resident DJ. This party is growing from year to year and we love it at least as much as the crowd does.

Tel Aviv was recently named the top city of 2011 by Gaycities, you must be proud, what was your reaction ?

YES! After 3 years of hard work, international travels and promotion we finally did it. Tel Aviv is on the map. This news has got into every major communications chanel here and we are very proud. of course this means that this year is going to be full of LGBT incoming tourism which is our aim. Small city huge impact.

If you are lazy and didn’t click the links to the videos…Watch them here…

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