What It's Like to Be Young, Gay, and Jewish

Contents:

• IN THE IMAGE OF GODA RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT JEWS ARE THE MOGRAPHIC GROUP MOST ACCEPTG OF TRANS DIVIDUALS THE UNED STAT.WHEN CERTA CHRISTIANS ASSERT A RELIG EEDOM RIGHT TO DISCRIMATE AGAST TRANS DIVIDUALS – PARTICULARLY, A RIGHT TO MISGENR THEM – THEIR ARGUMENT TYPILLY PROCEEDS SOMETHG ALONG THE L:1. THEY BELIEVE EVERY DIVIDUAL IS CREATED THE IMAGE OF GOD.2. PART OF THAT IMAGE IS THE PERSON’S SEX (AND BY EXTENSN, GENR).3. IN PARTICULAR, A PERSON’S SEX/GENR IS ALTERABLY ASSIGNED BY GOD OM NCEPTN.4. THEY ARE FORBIDN OM LYG OR FALSIFYG GOD’S CHOICE.THEREFORE, THEY SAY, THEY ARE RELIGLY OBLIGATED TO REFER TO PEOPLE BY THEIR CHROMOSOMAL SEX, REGARDLS OF HOW THEY INTIFY OR PUBLICLY PRENT. THIS RELIG DUTY, TURN, IS ED TO PRS AGAST L AND POLICI WHICH REQUIRE RPECTFUL TREATMENT OF TRANS DIVIDUALS (CLUDG REAG OM LIBERATELY MISGENRG THEM, ADNAMG THEM, AND SO ON).WHAT’S TERTG ABOUT THIS AMEWORK IS THAT A LOT OF ACTUALLY RONAT WH HOW I VIEW THE RELATNSHIP OF MY JEWISH FAH AND TRANS DIVIDUALS – WH SOME CCIAL ALTERATNS. TO W:1. I BELIEVE EVERY DIVIDUAL IS CREATE THE IMAGE OF GOD.2.  PART OF THAT IMAGE IS THE PERSON’S SEX (AND BY EXTENSN, GENR).4. I AM FORBIDN OM LYG OR FALSIFYG GOD’S CHOICE.THE MAJOR DISTCTN, OF URSE, PRONG 3:3. A PERSON’S SEX/GENR IS NOT NECSARILY OR ALTERABLY ASSIGNED BY GOD OM NCEPTN, BUT RATHER N BE PART OF A PERSON’S OWN PROCS OF DISVERG WHO THEY ARE. WHERE SUCH SELF-DISVERY LEADS TO A PERSON TO NCLU THEY ARE TRANS, NON-BARY, OR ANY OTHER INTY THAT PARTS OM THE SEX THEY WERE ASSIGNED AT BIRTH, THEY ARE NOT VIATG OM GOD’S PLAN. THEY ARE UNVERG THEIR THENTIC SELF AS GOD HAS CREATED THEM. THE RULT OF THIS PROCS IS PART OF GOD’S IMAGE. THOSE WHO REFE TO ACCEPT ARE NOT CLEAVG TO GOD’S IMAGE, THEY ARE REJECTG .GOD’S PROCS OF CREATN IS NOT, MY UNRSTANDG OF JUDAISM, A SET-AND-FET SORT OF AL. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF PASSIVELY BEG PUPPETEERED BY A DIVE HAND. IT SOMETHG WE DO TOGETHER – WE ARE PARTNERS CREATN. TO NY THE RULTS OF THAT PARTNERSHIP IS, FOR ME, A NIAL OF GOD’S PLAN AND PRACTICE JT AS MUCH AS IS FOR ADHERENTS OF OTHER RELIG VIEWS WHO ADHERE TO A MORE STATIC AND LCIFIED NOTN OF THE ROLE OF THE DIVE.AND SO FOR ME, AND I SPECT FOR MANY JEWS, THE RELIG EEDOM OBLIGATN PH THE OTHER DIRECTN. MANY NSERVATIVE STAT HAVE, OR ARE NSIRG, LAWS WHICH REQUIRE (AT LEAST CERTA NTEXTS) NON-REGNN OF TRANS INTY. FOR JEWS (AND OTHERS) WHO SHARE MY RELIG PRECEPTS, THE LAWS WOULD FORCE ME TO NY – TO BEAR FALSE WNS TO – A KEY ATTRIBUTE OF HOW GOD CREATED SOME OF MY PEERS. I DO NOT BELIEVE – AND THIS IS A EP, FUNDAMENTAL MMENT – THAT GOD’S “IMAGE” OF TRANS PERSONS WAS FOR THEM TO BE LOCKED A BODY OR SEX OR GENR INTY THAT CLEARLY IS NOT THENTILLY THEIRS. WHEN THEY FD THEIR FULL SELF, THEY ARE EQUALLY FDG GOD’S IMAGE OF THEMSELV.CONSISTENT WH MY LENGTHILY EXPRSED FEELGS ON THE SUBJECT, I SPECT THAT WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR THE GANR. DPE THE CLEAR PARALLEL, LIBERAL JEWS WHO ASSERT RELIG LIBERTY RIGHTS TO BE EXEMPTED OM LAWS SEEKG TO ENFORCE BY STATE MANDATE A TRANSPHOBIC AGENDA WILL NOT MEET WH THE SAME SUCCS ENJOYED BY THEIR CHRISTIAN PEERS.NOHELS, THERE IS VALUE PROMOTG THIS SORT OF AMEWORK, AND UNASHAMEDLY ASSERTG JEWISH PENNCE OM HEGEMONIC NSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN NOTNS OF TE RELIGSY. IT IS NOT WOVEN TO “RELIGN” THAT GOD’S IMAGE REQUIR REJECTN OF TRANS DIVIDUALS’ FULL SELV. THAT IS A CHOICE, AN TERPRETATN OF SOME RELIGNS OR OF SOME WHO LL THEMSELV RELIG. OTHER RELIGNS, OTHER RELIG PERSONS, HAVE A DIFFERENT TERPRETATN OF HOW TO RPECT AND DIGNIFY THE FACET OF GOD THAT IS EVERY ONE OF .VIA THE DEBATE LK UNBIDN-YIDNFOLLOWI’VE HEARD A SIAR ARGUMENT OM PROGRSIVE CHRISTIANS, AND SO THIS REGRSIVE VIEW IS NO WAY REQUIRED ORR TO BE A VOUT CHRISTIAN, EHER. IF YOU ARE CISGENR AND A VOUT PROGRSIVE CHRISTIAN: THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO ASSERT BOTH OF THOSE PRIVILEG ORR TO PH BACK ON THIS REGRSIVE PUBLIC RHETORIC. PENROSUNFOLLOWSTORY TIME:IN LLEGE, I WAS CLOSE IENDS WH A HAREDI STUNT AT MY UNIVERSY. THIS MAN WAS EPLY RELIG, AND NOT TO PUT TO FE A POT ON , EPLY NSERVATIVE. HE’D EXPRSED WHAT I THK MOST PEOPLE WOULD CHARACTERIZE FAIRLY HOMOPHOBIC VIEWS BEFORE, OPENLY, SUATNS WHERE HE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL PH BACK, CLUDG OM OTHER ORTHODOX AND HAREDI JEWS ON MP, AND HE’D ROLUTELY STOOD HIS GROUND ON THE THGS.AT THE TIME, I WAS NOT OUT TO EVERYONE, AND WE HAD A LOT MON AND GOT ON EXTREMELY WELL, JT SO LONG AS WE NEVER EVER EVER TOUCHED ON ANY TOPIC EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO POLIL ANYTHG. WE STUDIED TALMUD TOGETHER BRIEFLY, AND WE’D REGULARLY ANIZE SHABBAT BOARD GAME GROUPS TOGETHER, AND WE POOLED ROURC TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS PICKLED HERRG AT THE LOL MYAN’S KIDDH, SCE WE BOTH LOVED AND WERE HEARTBROKEN THAT SO FEW OTHER STUNTS OUR AGE DID THAT THE MYAN HAD STOPPED GETTG . AND FOR YEARS, I KNEW: WHEN THIS GUY GRADUATED, I WAS GOG TO TELL HIM WHO I WAS - BEE I RED ABOUT HIM AS A IEND AND FELT I OWED HIM THAT - AND THEN WE’D NEVER SPEAK AGA, AND OUR IENDSHIP WOULD BE OVER.ON THE LAST SHABBAT BEFORE HIS GRADUATN, I ME OUT TO HIM, AND HE SAT VERY QUIETLY AND LISTENED… AND THEN HE SAID SOMETHG WHICH TLY SHOCKED ME TO MY RE. HE ASKED ME IF I TEND TO MEDILLY TRANSN. I SAID THAT I WASN’T SURE – THAT THERE WERE RISKS, AND STS, AND PRACTIL NCERNS, AND THAT, SURE, IF SOMEONE ULD JT WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND GIVE ME THE BODY THAT MATCHED MY GENR STANTLY AND PALSLY AND FOR EE, I’D WANT THAT, BUT THAT THAT WAS OF URSE IMPOSSIBLE. AND THIS HAREDI MAN – WHO I HAD HEARD REFER TO THE RABOW FLAG AS “A SYMBOL OF IMMORALY”, WHO I HAD HEARD SAY TO A QUEER RABBI GUT SPEAKER’S FACE THAT HE THOUGHT THAT GAY MEN SHOULD REMA CELIBATE FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIV – HE LOOKED AT ME, VERY SERLY, AND SAID WH ZERO HATN AT ALL, “HOW N YOU SAY THAT? OF URSE S POSSIBLE – OLAM HABA.” AND THEN HE PROCEED TO TELL ME ABOUT A PIECE OF TALMUD HE HAD STUDIED JT A MONTH OR SO BEFORE, WHICH THERE WAS THE QUTN OF WHETHER AN OLD MAN WHO FELT THAT HIS BT LIFE AND MOST TE INTY WAS THE YEARS HE HAD LIVED AS AN OLD MAN WOULD BE RTORED TO HIS YOUTH OLAM HABA – AND HOW THAT RABBIS HAD NCLUD THAT SUCH A CIRCUMSTANCE, HE WOULD NOT BE, BEE YOUTH WOULD NOT BE AN IAL FORM TO HIM. AND HE TOLD ME – AD SERLY, THE SORT OF SERNS YOU ONLY EVER SEE OM SOMEONE WHO BELIEV THE WORLD TO COME WH TLY UNSHAKG VOTN – THAT SCE I KNEW I WAS A MAN, THAT ULD ONLY MEAN THAT HASHEM HAD CREATED ME AS A MAN, AND THAT THAT WAS MY TE AND IAL SELF, AND THEREFORE THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE FORM THAT ULD BE WAG FOR ME OLAM HABA MT BE A MALE ONE – THAT THE CIRCUMSTANC WHICH LED TO HASHEM GIVG ME THE BODY WHICH I HAD THIS LIFE WERE BEYOND HIS ABILY TO REASON, BUT THAT HE WAS SURE THAT MT BE A REASON PARTICULAR TO MY LIFE AND MY SOUL, BEE HASHEM WAS NEVER WRONG.WE DID EVENTUALLY FALL OUT OF TOUCH, PART BEE WE STILL HAD A LOT OF PRETTY IRRENCILABLE POLIL BELIEFS, AND OVER TIME, THAT GULF GREW TOO BIG TO IGNORE. BUT THAT WAS THE DAY THAT I STOPPED PUTTG UP WH PEOPLE WHO REJECTED MY GENR INTY ON THE BASIS OF “RELIG BELIEFS”, FOR GOOD. BEE IF THIS MAN WHO WAS ON THE FAR RIGHT WG END OF THE RELIG/POLIL SPECTM ULD UNRSTAND THAT HASHEM DO NOT MAKE MISTAK AND THAT MY GENR INTY WAS THE IMAGE OF THE DIVE, THEN WHAT WAS SOME RANDOM “GO TO CHURCH TO JUDGE HER NEIGHBOR” CHRISTIAN BYBODY’S EXCE? IF HE ULD SEE , SO ULD THEY – AND I HAD NO REASON AT ALL TO RPECT THEIR PERSONAL CHOICE NOT TO.JEWISH-LGBTQSCMPSTERSCMPSTERFOLLOWLGBTQ+ JEWISH ROURC AND ORGANIZATNS
• THE SHOCKG LIFE OF ISRAEL'S MOST FAMO GAY PORN STAR
• A GAY JEWISH READG LIST
• WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE YOUNG, GAY, AND JEWISH
• GAY TEL AVIV FOR BEGNERS
• ISRAELI, ETHPIAN AND GAY
• WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A BLACK, GAY, PROFSNAL JEW
• GAY MEN UNR THE NAZI REGIME

IN THE IMAGE OF GODA RECENT STUDY FOUND THAT JEWS ARE THE MOGRAPHIC GROUP MOST ACCEPTG OF TRANS DIVIDUALS THE UNED STAT.WHEN CERTA CHRISTIANS ASSERT A RELIG EEDOM RIGHT TO DISCRIMATE AGAST TRANS DIVIDUALS – PARTICULARLY, A RIGHT TO MISGENR THEM – THEIR ARGUMENT TYPILLY PROCEEDS SOMETHG ALONG THE L:1. THEY BELIEVE EVERY DIVIDUAL IS CREATED THE IMAGE OF GOD.2. PART OF THAT IMAGE IS THE PERSON’S SEX (AND BY EXTENSN, GENR).3. IN PARTICULAR, A PERSON’S SEX/GENR IS ALTERABLY ASSIGNED BY GOD OM NCEPTN.4. THEY ARE FORBIDN OM LYG OR FALSIFYG GOD’S CHOICE.THEREFORE, THEY SAY, THEY ARE RELIGLY OBLIGATED TO REFER TO PEOPLE BY THEIR CHROMOSOMAL SEX, REGARDLS OF HOW THEY INTIFY OR PUBLICLY PRENT. THIS RELIG DUTY, TURN, IS ED TO PRS AGAST L AND POLICI WHICH REQUIRE RPECTFUL TREATMENT OF TRANS DIVIDUALS (CLUDG REAG OM LIBERATELY MISGENRG THEM, ADNAMG THEM, AND SO ON).WHAT’S TERTG ABOUT THIS AMEWORK IS THAT A LOT OF ACTUALLY RONAT WH HOW I VIEW THE RELATNSHIP OF MY JEWISH FAH AND TRANS DIVIDUALS – WH SOME CCIAL ALTERATNS. TO W:1. I BELIEVE EVERY DIVIDUAL IS CREATE THE IMAGE OF GOD.2.  PART OF THAT IMAGE IS THE PERSON’S SEX (AND BY EXTENSN, GENR).4. I AM FORBIDN OM LYG OR FALSIFYG GOD’S CHOICE.THE MAJOR DISTCTN, OF URSE, PRONG 3:3. A PERSON’S SEX/GENR IS NOT NECSARILY OR ALTERABLY ASSIGNED BY GOD OM NCEPTN, BUT RATHER N BE PART OF A PERSON’S OWN PROCS OF DISVERG WHO THEY ARE. WHERE SUCH SELF-DISVERY LEADS TO A PERSON TO NCLU THEY ARE TRANS, NON-BARY, OR ANY OTHER INTY THAT PARTS OM THE SEX THEY WERE ASSIGNED AT BIRTH, THEY ARE NOT VIATG OM GOD’S PLAN. THEY ARE UNVERG THEIR THENTIC SELF AS GOD HAS CREATED THEM. THE RULT OF THIS PROCS IS PART OF GOD’S IMAGE. THOSE WHO REFE TO ACCEPT ARE NOT CLEAVG TO GOD’S IMAGE, THEY ARE REJECTG .GOD’S PROCS OF CREATN IS NOT, MY UNRSTANDG OF JUDAISM, A SET-AND-FET SORT OF AL. IT IS NOT A MATTER OF PASSIVELY BEG PUPPETEERED BY A DIVE HAND. IT SOMETHG WE DO TOGETHER – WE ARE PARTNERS CREATN. TO NY THE RULTS OF THAT PARTNERSHIP IS, FOR ME, A NIAL OF GOD’S PLAN AND PRACTICE JT AS MUCH AS IS FOR ADHERENTS OF OTHER RELIG VIEWS WHO ADHERE TO A MORE STATIC AND LCIFIED NOTN OF THE ROLE OF THE DIVE.AND SO FOR ME, AND I SPECT FOR MANY JEWS, THE RELIG EEDOM OBLIGATN PH THE OTHER DIRECTN. MANY NSERVATIVE STAT HAVE, OR ARE NSIRG, LAWS WHICH REQUIRE (AT LEAST CERTA NTEXTS) NON-REGNN OF TRANS INTY. FOR JEWS (AND OTHERS) WHO SHARE MY RELIG PRECEPTS, THE LAWS WOULD FORCE ME TO NY – TO BEAR FALSE WNS TO – A KEY ATTRIBUTE OF HOW GOD CREATED SOME OF MY PEERS. I DO NOT BELIEVE – AND THIS IS A EP, FUNDAMENTAL MMENT – THAT GOD’S “IMAGE” OF TRANS PERSONS WAS FOR THEM TO BE LOCKED A BODY OR SEX OR GENR INTY THAT CLEARLY IS NOT THENTILLY THEIRS. WHEN THEY FD THEIR FULL SELF, THEY ARE EQUALLY FDG GOD’S IMAGE OF THEMSELV.CONSISTENT WH MY LENGTHILY EXPRSED FEELGS ON THE SUBJECT, I SPECT THAT WHAT’S GOOD FOR THE GOOSE WILL NOT BE GOOD FOR THE GANR. DPE THE CLEAR PARALLEL, LIBERAL JEWS WHO ASSERT RELIG LIBERTY RIGHTS TO BE EXEMPTED OM LAWS SEEKG TO ENFORCE BY STATE MANDATE A TRANSPHOBIC AGENDA WILL NOT MEET WH THE SAME SUCCS ENJOYED BY THEIR CHRISTIAN PEERS.NOHELS, THERE IS VALUE PROMOTG THIS SORT OF AMEWORK, AND UNASHAMEDLY ASSERTG JEWISH PENNCE OM HEGEMONIC NSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN NOTNS OF TE RELIGSY. IT IS NOT WOVEN TO “RELIGN” THAT GOD’S IMAGE REQUIR REJECTN OF TRANS DIVIDUALS’ FULL SELV. THAT IS A CHOICE, AN TERPRETATN OF SOME RELIGNS OR OF SOME WHO LL THEMSELV RELIG. OTHER RELIGNS, OTHER RELIG PERSONS, HAVE A DIFFERENT TERPRETATN OF HOW TO RPECT AND DIGNIFY THE FACET OF GOD THAT IS EVERY ONE OF .VIA THE DEBATE LK UNBIDN-YIDNFOLLOWI’VE HEARD A SIAR ARGUMENT OM PROGRSIVE CHRISTIANS, AND SO THIS REGRSIVE VIEW IS NO WAY REQUIRED ORR TO BE A VOUT CHRISTIAN, EHER. IF YOU ARE CISGENR AND A VOUT PROGRSIVE CHRISTIAN: THIS IS AN EXCELLENT PLACE TO ASSERT BOTH OF THOSE PRIVILEG ORR TO PH BACK ON THIS REGRSIVE PUBLIC RHETORIC. PENROSUNFOLLOWSTORY TIME:IN LLEGE, I WAS CLOSE IENDS WH A HAREDI STUNT AT MY UNIVERSY. THIS MAN WAS EPLY RELIG, AND NOT TO PUT TO FE A POT ON , EPLY NSERVATIVE. HE’D EXPRSED WHAT I THK MOST PEOPLE WOULD CHARACTERIZE FAIRLY HOMOPHOBIC VIEWS BEFORE, OPENLY, SUATNS WHERE HE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL PH BACK, CLUDG OM OTHER ORTHODOX AND HAREDI JEWS ON MP, AND HE’D ROLUTELY STOOD HIS GROUND ON THE THGS.AT THE TIME, I WAS NOT OUT TO EVERYONE, AND WE HAD A LOT MON AND GOT ON EXTREMELY WELL, JT SO LONG AS WE NEVER EVER EVER TOUCHED ON ANY TOPIC EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE TO POLIL ANYTHG. WE STUDIED TALMUD TOGETHER BRIEFLY, AND WE’D REGULARLY ANIZE SHABBAT BOARD GAME GROUPS TOGETHER, AND WE POOLED ROURC TO ENSURE THAT THERE WAS ALWAYS PICKLED HERRG AT THE LOL MYAN’S KIDDH, SCE WE BOTH LOVED AND WERE HEARTBROKEN THAT SO FEW OTHER STUNTS OUR AGE DID THAT THE MYAN HAD STOPPED GETTG . AND FOR YEARS, I KNEW: WHEN THIS GUY GRADUATED, I WAS GOG TO TELL HIM WHO I WAS - BEE I RED ABOUT HIM AS A IEND AND FELT I OWED HIM THAT - AND THEN WE’D NEVER SPEAK AGA, AND OUR IENDSHIP WOULD BE OVER.ON THE LAST SHABBAT BEFORE HIS GRADUATN, I ME OUT TO HIM, AND HE SAT VERY QUIETLY AND LISTENED… AND THEN HE SAID SOMETHG WHICH TLY SHOCKED ME TO MY RE. HE ASKED ME IF I TEND TO MEDILLY TRANSN. I SAID THAT I WASN’T SURE – THAT THERE WERE RISKS, AND STS, AND PRACTIL NCERNS, AND THAT, SURE, IF SOMEONE ULD JT WAVE A MAGIC WAND AND GIVE ME THE BODY THAT MATCHED MY GENR STANTLY AND PALSLY AND FOR EE, I’D WANT THAT, BUT THAT THAT WAS OF URSE IMPOSSIBLE. AND THIS HAREDI MAN – WHO I HAD HEARD REFER TO THE RABOW FLAG AS “A SYMBOL OF IMMORALY”, WHO I HAD HEARD SAY TO A QUEER RABBI GUT SPEAKER’S FACE THAT HE THOUGHT THAT GAY MEN SHOULD REMA CELIBATE FOR THEIR ENTIRE LIV – HE LOOKED AT ME, VERY SERLY, AND SAID WH ZERO HATN AT ALL, “HOW N YOU SAY THAT? OF URSE S POSSIBLE – OLAM HABA.” AND THEN HE PROCEED TO TELL ME ABOUT A PIECE OF TALMUD HE HAD STUDIED JT A MONTH OR SO BEFORE, WHICH THERE WAS THE QUTN OF WHETHER AN OLD MAN WHO FELT THAT HIS BT LIFE AND MOST TE INTY WAS THE YEARS HE HAD LIVED AS AN OLD MAN WOULD BE RTORED TO HIS YOUTH OLAM HABA – AND HOW THAT RABBIS HAD NCLUD THAT SUCH A CIRCUMSTANCE, HE WOULD NOT BE, BEE YOUTH WOULD NOT BE AN IAL FORM TO HIM. AND HE TOLD ME – AD SERLY, THE SORT OF SERNS YOU ONLY EVER SEE OM SOMEONE WHO BELIEV THE WORLD TO COME WH TLY UNSHAKG VOTN – THAT SCE I KNEW I WAS A MAN, THAT ULD ONLY MEAN THAT HASHEM HAD CREATED ME AS A MAN, AND THAT THAT WAS MY TE AND IAL SELF, AND THEREFORE THAT THE ONLY POSSIBLE FORM THAT ULD BE WAG FOR ME OLAM HABA MT BE A MALE ONE – THAT THE CIRCUMSTANC WHICH LED TO HASHEM GIVG ME THE BODY WHICH I HAD THIS LIFE WERE BEYOND HIS ABILY TO REASON, BUT THAT HE WAS SURE THAT MT BE A REASON PARTICULAR TO MY LIFE AND MY SOUL, BEE HASHEM WAS NEVER WRONG.WE DID EVENTUALLY FALL OUT OF TOUCH, PART BEE WE STILL HAD A LOT OF PRETTY IRRENCILABLE POLIL BELIEFS, AND OVER TIME, THAT GULF GREW TOO BIG TO IGNORE. BUT THAT WAS THE DAY THAT I STOPPED PUTTG UP WH PEOPLE WHO REJECTED MY GENR INTY ON THE BASIS OF “RELIG BELIEFS”, FOR GOOD. BEE IF THIS MAN WHO WAS ON THE FAR RIGHT WG END OF THE RELIG/POLIL SPECTM ULD UNRSTAND THAT HASHEM DO NOT MAKE MISTAK AND THAT MY GENR INTY WAS THE IMAGE OF THE DIVE, THEN WHAT WAS SOME RANDOM “GO TO CHURCH TO JUDGE HER NEIGHBOR” CHRISTIAN BYBODY’S EXCE? IF HE ULD SEE , SO ULD THEY – AND I HAD NO REASON AT ALL TO RPECT THEIR PERSONAL CHOICE NOT TO.JEWISH-LGBTQSCMPSTERSCMPSTERFOLLOWLGBTQ+ JEWISH ROURC AND ORGANIZATNS

He’d exprsed what I thk most people would characterize fairly homophobic views before, openly, suatns where he received substantial ph back, cludg om other Orthodox and Haredi Jews on mp, and he’d rolutely stood his ground on the the time, I was not out to everyone, and we had a lot mon and got on extremely well, jt so long as we never ever ever touched on any topic even remotely close to polil anythg. And this Haredi man – who I had heard refer to the rabow flag as “a symbol of immoraly”, who I had heard say to a queer rabbi gut speaker’s face that he thought that gay men should rema celibate for their entire liv – he looked at me, very serly, and said wh zero hatn at all, “how n you say that?

Over 500 gay Jews (and those who love them) partied the night away at Serlic, the Passover Party, prented by saw Pharoah and Mos rne and drk MAN-ischewz all night long on Saturday at New York's Hudson Terrace.

Anyone who’s read a scriptn of the movie, which follows a the life of Israeli gay-porn star Jonathan Agassi, but who expects some refement or ncealment, will be disappoted.

THE SHOCKG LIFE OF ISRAEL'S MOST FAMO GAY PORN STAR

Up Close and Personal Wh an Israeli Gay Porn Star How to Film Sex Scen the Era of MeToo “The movie isn’t difficult for me, I don’t watch and experience anew the difficult perd I went through. While filmg was still unrway, even before Men of Israel beme one of the most profable gay-porn featur, he was signed on for two more porn producer and fervent Znist Michael Lus, who employed Agassi pornographic REUTERSThat’s when the name "Jonathan Agassi" was born, an alter ego that he scrib the current movie as a superhero, a character who helps him, who's always on his si. Conventnal wisdom the publishg dtry says that non-gay people won’t read books wh gay them — wh the notable exceptn of works by humorists, such as David Sedaris or Augten Burroughs, who play their liv for lghs.

Even if there’s a kernel of tth that notn — and I fear, sadly, that there often is — straight Jewish rears particular should be able to bridge this culture gap by choosg Jewish gay books: While some of the gay ntent might be unfaiar, at least the Jewish ntent will provi a pot of intifitn. At the risk of leavg out many books and thors whose work is worth your time, here’s a brief list of GLBT books that non-gay Jewish rears will relate to.

If you’re drawn to Holot tal, read Gad Beck’s “An Unrground Life, ” the te (and tly amazg) story of a gay Jew who survived the Holot hidg Berl. Two of my favor are “The Same Embrace” by Michael Lowenthal (about tw brothers divid by religsy and sexualy), and “Fah for Begners” by Aaron Hamburger (about a mother and her gay son on a journey of surprisg self-disvery Israel).

A GAY JEWISH READG LIST

Rosenthal through “Eighty-Sixed” Feberg’s dazzlg but novel, which ntrasts gay life New York before the epimic to a time when gay men started dyg drov. Add all this to a relign wh scripture that labels same-sex relatnships "ttable, " and you'll see why the early years n be hard for young, gay Jews.

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE YOUNG, GAY, AND JEWISH

"This may no longer be the way that our muny als wh gay relatnships, and even biblil tim the ath penalty was rarely dished out for same-sex sexual acts (acrdg to Jewish Oral Law, there would have to be two wns to anal peratn, and the wns would have to warn the guys multiple tim that they were breakg the l, and then the guys would have to keep on fuckg anyway)—but the realy is that those words are still there: God says beg gay is 's a difficult ncept to grapple wh.

There's ltle to no crossover between the gay and the when I hear about a new gay Jewish club night London—"Butt Mzvah" (like Bat Mzvah, but wh the word butt, bee gays like butts)— gets me thkg about the tersectn of the two Mzvah anizer Josh Cole (center) "Part of the reason for dog Butt Mzvah is to try and help boys fd nice Jewish hbands—to be a fiddler on the roof matchmaker on a really grand sle, " says anizer Josh Cole ahead of the night. People who have a strong Jewish inty maybe their faial zone, and a strong gay inty their social or romantic life, but have never had the space to rencile the two.

"The Glory—a gay pub Haggerston n by some of London's most celebrated drag queens—is ually by, but 's not even ten yet, and the place is packed.

GAY TEL AVIV FOR BEGNERS

As a gay Jew, 's easy to feel slightly separated om everyone else tradnally heteronormative spac like bar mzvahs or, the place is heavg: A drag queen drsed as Amy Wehoe is losg her sh on the stage ahead of me; there's a bagel buffet the downstairs dance area; and a klezmer band playg tradnal Jewish folk mic is whippg up the crowd, many of whom are wearg Star of David necklac. At first, I might have been guard, but by the end, I'm relaxed and havg me, the bt part of beg Jewish is the sense of muny, and the same n be said for beg gay—but until now I'd never really nsolidated the two important parts of my inty. But nversatns still need to be had about how scripture is terpreted the morn age, and to whom 's applied to, and how queer voic and fac are weled muni—or else ltle gay Jewish kids will spend their childhoods thkg they won't be weled by the big guy upstairs—which is jt unnecsary extra strs when you've already got all your other securi to al wh.

I won't be nng to an orthodox synagogue on Saturday morng, but maybe next time there's a gay Jewish club night on I'll ve my (and my non-Jewish boyiend's) fay along, Michael Segalov on Twter. So should e as no surprise that Israel’s pal of ol, Tel Aviv, where 25% of the populatn is timated to be LGBT, has gaed an ternatnal reputatn as one of the world’s top statns for gay men. One reason gay nightlife Tel Aviv is so excg is that the Tel Aviv gay scene revolv around weekly parti, rather than specific bars or clubs like most ci around the isn’t to say that certa gay bars Tel Aviv aren’t extremely popular.

They boast crystal clear waters, whe sands, and an astoundg number of attractive people soakg up the you’ll be wele at nearly every beach Tel Aviv, there is an unofficial gay beach: Hilton Beach. Simply head north on Dizengoff Street until you h Jabotsky Street, then take a left and walk down to the Aviv Gay PriTel Aviv hosts the only public gay pri para the entire Middle East. An afterparty at Charl Clore Park keeps the energy bt part of Tel Aviv pri is not the para self, but the fact that Tel Aviv’s gay nightlife gets even wilr durg pri!

ISRAELI, ETHPIAN AND GAY

All hotels Tel Aviv are gay iendly, and s safe to say the same for most rtrants, bars, f, and stor – fely the on which visors to the cy are likely to vis.

WHAT IT’S LIKE TO BE A BLACK, GAY, PROFSNAL JEW

Genr queer upl are almost ubiquo as straight on, pendg on which part of the cy you’re bt part of homosexualy beg so tolerated Tel Aviv is that Israelis tend to be very open about their feelgs for you.

If they are, they may simply jo you at your, whether you e to Tel Aviv for the gay nightlife, to lie on a gay beach, to experience gay pri, or jt to enjoy the pany of fellow gays, there is perhaps no better gay statn the Middle East and very few others the world.

GAY MEN UNR THE NAZI REGIME

Insir Tips – Gay Tel Aviv for BegnersBelow we offer some tips om the muny and equent visors to help you make the most of your time the Wood: “Tel Aviv is really an amazg place and a one of a kd LGBTQ muny bee you n walk around everywhere, be yourself 100% whout judgment, and feel accepted by everyone around you. Whether you are a party animal or you prefer relaxg and soakg up the sun at the gay beach, don’t matter bee there are so many ways to feel the vibe of Tel Tel Aviv Beach TipsWhen visg Hilton Beach, you n rent an umbrella and chair. He wrote rponse to lls at the time to ncel the sodomy law (which was ultimately ncelled only 1988, thanks to Shulam Aloni) I, as an Orthodox Rabbi, Support Legalizg Same-sex Marriage We Sharpened the Assailant's Knife In Their Own Words Livneh was neher ultra-Orthodox nor Orthodox, but rather a Jewish natnalist, yet his ma argument was that homosexualy is foreign to Judaism, nstut a foreign fluence by generate Wtern culture and should be the op-ed he claimed that for hundreds of years Jews the Diaspora succeed prervg their muni om those “sexual perversns, ” or as he phrased : “It is totally absurd to have suffered for many generatns the Diaspora, while strictly prervg, nurturg and refg the heterosexual prciple, only to return to the Land of Israel and renew the ‘gentil’ abomatn’ here.

”The history of homophobia fact prov that Livneh’s claim (which many Jews have upheld and still uphold to this day) is, if anythg, a “foreign fluence.

” Throughout the morn perd natnalist homophob have claimed that homosexualy is nothg but a generative foreign cultural fluence on members of their people.