Contents:
- A YOUNG GAY ORTHODOX MAN DIED BY SUICI. WE MT NONT HOW JEWISH TEACHGS HARMED HIM
- GAY IN LLIE JORDAN HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 67
- COLORADO MOM SAYS 9-YEAR-OLD SON WHO CAME OUT AS GAY DIED BY SUICI AFTER SCHOOL BULLYG
- LTLE RICHARD WAS ANTI-GAY WHEN HE DIED, BUT HIS QUEER CULTURAL FLUENCE OVERSHADOWS ALL
A YOUNG GAY ORTHODOX MAN DIED BY SUICI. WE MT NONT HOW JEWISH TEACHGS HARMED HIM
As we mourn Herschel Siegel, we nnot fet the difficulty he faced as a gay Orthodox Jew. It is pecially paful that, even when victims were openly gay themselv, the Orthodox muny too often ref to acknowledge or value this part of who they were. And Orthodox Jews should all have the right to raise children le wh the plited beliefs whout beg labeled as bigoted, homophobic or evil.
He was a lovg son, a rg iend, a supportive siblg, a gifted actor, a person who grappled wh mental illns and a urageo young gay man growg up the Orthodox Jewish muny.
RelatedYhiva Universy is left mourng after a beloved gay alum di by suici. He wrote: “My very EXISTENCE as a gay, Jewish, Male was an abomatn … and even s later, that fear-based thought pattern epts to my nscns, at the most unexpected of tim … ‘abomatn’… is the only fg aspect of my ‘herent self-worth. Instead, was quotg what most Orthodox Jews unrstand to be the leral words prted last week’s Torah portn, wrten by God, which ll homosexualy an “abomatn servg of ath.
GAY IN LLIE JORDAN HAS DIED AT THE AGE OF 67
In a gratuo footnote acpanyg the verse Levic 18:22, the Stone Chumash reads: “The harshns wh which the Torah scrib homosexualy ttifi to the repugnance which God holds those who engage the unnatural practic. Policizg his ath don’t help gay Jews. Rearch nsistently shows an elevated risk for suici among queer youth om muni that reject homosexualy.
If we teach that beg gay is immoral, and fill our synagogu wh prayer books that nvey the msage that God fds gay people repugnant, then there will be vulnerable young people the muny who take that msage serly. In the rabbi’s logy, “mental illns” (while an important aspect of Herschel’s story) was ed to hi, distract, disunt and ultimately erase Herschel’s gay inty.
COLORADO MOM SAYS 9-YEAR-OLD SON WHO CAME OUT AS GAY DIED BY SUICI AFTER SCHOOL BULLYG
It seemed like any suggtn that there were lsons to be learned about makg life easier for gay men like Herschel, was seen as ak to blamg the fay and muny for Herschel’s ath. Herschel was a gay man a world that ma no place for queer people. "Related: Llie Jordan Is the Baton-Twirlg Comic the World Needs a Crisis"I'd do an exercise vio bee there are so many gay men wh the perfect abs and they do exercise vios, " Jordan told The Advote 2020 for a digal ver story about how the viral vios started.
LTLE RICHARD WAS ANTI-GAY WHEN HE DIED, BUT HIS QUEER CULTURAL FLUENCE OVERSHADOWS ALL
In 2021, Jordan released his first album, tled Company's Com', featurg gay in Dolly Parton and out sger-songwrer Brandi Carlile among others, and he went on to make his Grand Ole Opry but as a rult. A 9-year-old Colorado boy who died by suici last week had been bullied at school after announcg over the summer that he was gay and exprsg his sire to share the news wh his classmat, his mother said. Pierce said her son told her over the summer that he was gay while they were together her r and he was ridg the back seat.
“He was like, ‘Mom I’m gay, ’ ” she said, reports KDVR. The revelatn apparently eed Jamel to share the rmatn wh others, his mom said: “He went to school and said he was gonna tell people he’s gay bee he’s proud of himself.