Pride Squad 2025 | LGBTWORK
Seeking Internal Truth
The Trump administration has decided to erase the trans community from the public eye. Even the use of the word "trans" was banned in federal agencies, alongside the repeal of military service for trans soldiers and the prohibition of participation in sports competitions. This marked the greatest achievement of an international movement that has been working for years to delegitimize gender fluidity. Against this backdrop, the creators of the film Inner Truth—Shlomi Laufer, director Liran Atzmor, and Channel 13 News journalist Hila Elrai—embarked on a journey to follow the experiences of trans youth in Israel, the aggressive campaign against gender transition, and the doctors and psychiatrists who repeatedly find themselves defending their professional truth.
The film's protagonist is Gaya. At the age of seven, she sent her father a voice message: "Dad, I want to be Gaya at home and Guy at school, and I want girl’s clothes." Thus began her personal and family journey toward becoming who she truly is.
In his lecture, Laufer addresses the political forces and the long-running public media campaign against the LGBTQ+ community and freedom in general. He presents examples of this struggle as it unfolds in Israel and other countries, explaining the workings of the pendulum effect—between the major victories the LGBTQ+ community has achieved in recent years and the rising wave of global anti-LGBTQ+ politics. In this context, the trans community serves as an easy target for attack, though it is far from the only one.
Shlomi Laufer
Shlomi has been a content creator and director for 25 years and was formerly a journalist and public relations professional.
He has spearheaded national and public initiatives for LGBTQ+ organizations, including the 2018 surrogacy protest, as well as providing strategic and marketing consultancy for The Aguda IGY, Hoshen, the Israel AIDS Task Force, the Tel Aviv Pride events, the LGBTQ+ Influencers Conference, and more.
He manages large-scale campaigns for leading public sector organizations, serves as a content director for stage, television, and digital productions, and acts as a strategic consultant in public, media, and political arenas.
Recipient of the Roaring Lion Public Relations Award (2016, 2017), the Israel Marketing Association Award (2018, 2020), and the Granot Creative Marketing Award (2023).
Lecturer at the School of Communication at the College of Management in Tel Aviv.
Previously a journalist for Ma’ariv, HOT3, and Yedioth Ahronoth, editor-in-chief of 24 Hours, media advisor to the Municipality of Hadera, and co-owner of the PR firm GLPR.
