This is what one of the biggest LGBT pride parades in the Middle East looks like.
This year's parade focused on supporting gender diversity and trans people.
On June 12, more than 100,000 people filled the streets of Tel Aviv, Israel, for the annual gay pride parade.
The yearly celebration drew as many as 180,000 people this year, according to some local media estimates, as LGBTQ individuals and their allies came out to party at the largest pride celebration in the region.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
This year's theme was "Tel Aviv loves all genders."
According to Tel Aviv's tourism website, the theme represents a focus on the unique challenges facing the country's transgender community.
"This year the parade will be in support of transgender rights and recognition of their contribution to the LGBT community and the city of Tel Aviv," the website reads. It was also a "call for recognition of their needs and full equal rights for all genders everywhere."
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
While trans people have won a number of recent legal victories in Israel, there's a long way to go.
And that's exactly what the celebration hoped to highlight:
"By putting the transgender community at the forefront of Pride 2015 we hope to promote the visibility of this community, gather support for their achievements and give a helping hand to their future efforts in their fight for recognition and equal rights. Together with this the Pride parade and events continue to reflect the full spectrum of the LGBT community, and will include an activities area for children and families and other still-to-be announced happenings."
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
It seems that around the world, there are a few constants you can count on at any pride celebration.
Such as guys kissing guys.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
Ladies kissing ladies.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
And dudes who look like they stepped right off the set of "300."
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
But overall, it's just a great time to relax, reflect, and regroup for the path forward.
Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
Especially when that path leads to sunbathing on a lawn. Photo by Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."