CAIRO: Tel Aviv was voted the best gay city by viewers on the LGBT travel website gaycities.com. Some 43 percent of voters said that the Israeli city was the best destination for the gay community worldwide. It also comes as the city struggles to deal with the loss of fabled lesbian bar Minerva, which announced it was closing its doors this week. “The gay capitol of the Middle East is exotic and welcoming with a Mediterranean c'est la vie attitude,” the website said. Tel Aviv garnered 43 percent of the vote, far ahead of the next competitor, New York City, which raked in 14 percent. Other cities on the list included Toronto, Sao Paulo, Madrid, London, New Orleans and Mexico City. Thomas Stellaman, an American gay man currently living in Cairo, told Bikyamasr.com that in Tel Aviv, he was met “by welcoming people who didn't judge and we had a nice time drinking and enjoying the night life.” Others tend to agree, pointing that the Mediterranean city has shown itself open to alternative lifestyles. BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/aXxea Tags: Gaycities.com, Israel, LGBT Section: Culture, Latest News, Palestine