Omer Ohana, Who Lost His Partner in the Battle of Be'eri: 'I Imagine Sagi Smiling Down from Above'

As part of Pride Month events, the exhibition "Male Pride" was launched this week at the Social Gallery in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Center. Curated by Yoav Meir and Gili Sivan, the exhibition seeks to bring the voice of the gay man into the public sphere through fashion, photography and coming-out stories.

One of the prominent figures in the exhibition is Omer Ohana, the partner of Maj. Sagi Golan, who was killed in battle for Kibbutz Be'eri at the outbreak of the Iron Swords War. Since then, Ohana has become a symbol of the struggle for equal rights for members of Israel’s LGBTQ community.

For Ohana, participating in the exhibition is another layer in Sagi’s memorial effort. "Sagi was an amazing person, a hopeless optimist," Ohana said in an interview on the program "Tarbutnikim" on Kan News on Reshet Bet. "It is hard to believe how much time has passed without him. Sagi is really a hero, also of the community, and I am happy to represent his story and his shade in the public sphere in this wonderful exhibition."

Ohana’s third Pride Month without Sagi is accompanied by mixed feelings of bereavement and social struggle. "On the one hand, the longing for Sagi is unbearable. I really miss marching with Sagi in the parades, it was a time when we would spend time together and enjoy ourselves," he shared.

At the same time, he finds comfort in the broad public recognition Sagi has received. "This morning I really burst into tears when I saw the pride flags with his name flying in Jerusalem and in 173 other local authorities in Israel. Giving this representation in the public sphere is very important for the community, and I hope that next year there will be equality in Israel."

Since Sagi was killed, Ohana has not rested. He initiated the "Sagi Program" to promote educational projects in the LGBTQ community, and led a historic legislative change, recognition of the partners of fallen members of the LGBTQ community as IDF widowers.

"Sagi was a person of values, and the value he believed in most was equality," he explained. "On November 6, 2023, an amendment to the Families of Fallen Soldiers law passed, and the words 'married man and woman' in the rabbinate were replaced with the words 'common-law partners.' While this made me the first LGBTQ widower recognized by law, it shows how the strength of the LGBTQ community in Israel brings liberal and equal reform to all the country's citizens."

When asked where he draws the strength to act amid the loss, Ohana said public support is his fuel. "The strength comes from the people," he shared. "There are 174 local authorities hanging the flags, only thanks to our crazy community that makes sure to lead this country to a place of light. Only thanks to these people do I have the strength to keep going, keep memorializing and make sure there will be equality here."

"Every day מחדש, I ask myself what Sagi’s look is when he watches us somewhere up above," Ohana said. "I thought about a boy who saw the report about Sagi two and a half years ago and today is a soldier, and how that affected him and how it does not matter who he loves next to his friends with guns. I imagine Sagi smiling down from above with pride, and he is proud of all of us."

And what does he wish for? "I would be happy to receive one thing, Sagi’s laws, to get equality in life, and for Israel to be equal for everyone."

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