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

Contents:

• MEET DR. JSE EHRENFELD: A JEWISH VETERAN, AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PRINT OF THE AMA
• HOW N YOU BE GAY AND JEWISH?
• WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE YOUNG, GAY, AND JEWISH
• JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

MEET DR. JSE EHRENFELD: A JEWISH VETERAN, AND THE FIRST OPENLY GAY PRINT OF THE AMA

The sourc of Judaism’s tradnal posn on homosexualy and gay issu are well known. Two vers Levic (Levic 18:23 and Levic 20:13) exprs unequivol nmnatn of male homosexual sex (although is not clear whether what is referred to is terurse or all sexual acts between men).

”READ: Puttg The Prohibn Agast Homosexualy ContextAs evint by s language, the biblil prohibn do not extend to female homosexual acts, though later mentators disapproved of lbianism. One rabbic source associat female homosexualy wh the activi of the Egyptians and Canaan, om which the Jews are supposed to absta. The Levic vers also imply that is the act of homosexual sex, not the homosexual person, that is abhorred.

Several tradnal sourc temper the harshns of the “abomatn” by cg the lack of procreative potential as the reason for the abomable nature of the homosexual act. Intertgly, the medieval book Sefer HaHuch par homosexual sex to marryg a barren woman. Nohels, the tradnal Jewish posn on homosexualy is still difficult for many liberal-md Jews, and the liberal nomatns have bated the extent to which gays and lbians n be fully tegrated to relig Conservative Halakhah and HomosexualyThe first and least ntroversial step taken by the Conservative, Renstctnist, and Reform movements was to endorse civil equaly for gays and lbians.

HOW N YOU BE GAY AND JEWISH?

The CCAR, the Reform movement‘s rabbil uncil, took an early and active role fightg for gay rights. In 1977 drafted a ll to crimalize homosexual sex and to end all discrimatn based on sexual how do one get around the apparently unambiguo biblil prohibn agast homosexualy? Many who seek to tablish full relig rights for gays and lbians employ the rearch that pots to the voluntary nature of homosexualy.

Th some Jewish thori have argued that sce homosexualy is not chosen, s exprsn nnot be, the Reform movement do not nmn homosexual sex, and openly gay people are eligible for admtance to Reform rabbil schools.

In addn, the Reform movement approv of rabbic officiatn at same-sex marriag and mment Denomatnal Approach on Ordag Openly Gay and Lbian RabbisDaniel Siegel, the Rabbic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has endorsed same-sex marriage specifilly bee he believ that hols should not be limed only to certa people and certa relatnships.

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

Usg this as her startg pot, Rebec Alpert, a Renstctnist rabbi, has argued that the ernment’s refal to regnize same-sex marriage vlat relig rabbis wh the Conservative movement also ce the ncept of on ( which an dividual has no real choice) permtg homosexual sex.

In December 2006 the Conservative Movement’s Law Commtee voted to accept two ntradictory thuvot (posns) on homosexualy halakhah — one reaffirmg the stat quo, and one affirmg change. The rult of the vote is that rabbis, synagogu, and other Conservative stutns may choose to ntue to not perm mment ceremoni and not hire openly gay or lbian rabbis and ntors, or may choose to do so. The cisn also paved the way for the movement to orda openly gay recent years, there has been an creased awarens of the prence of gays and lbians more tradnal Jewish muni as well.

Numero anizatns and support groups exist for gay Jews who are terted matag a tradnal Jewish liftyle. Steven Greenberg, a gay Jewish tor who was ordaed as an Orthodox rabbi, wr and lectur on the possibili for gays and lbians the Orthodox muny.

JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS ASSISTANT STRENGTH ACH KEV MAXEN OUT PUBLICLY AS GAY

Fally, Tremblg Before G-d, a crilly acclaimed 2009 documentary about gay Orthodox Jews, has ma a signifint impact raisg nscns about homosexualy the Orthodox world.

”To read this article, “Jewish Views on Homosexualy, ” Spanish (leer en Español), click here. Q: Did you ever experience antisemism, homophobia, or mockery of beg a Republin?

I am sometim asked: “How n you be gay and Jewish? Don’t the Bible forbid homosexualy?