Delightful news from God’s Chosen People: leaders of the Jewish Conservative Movement have unanimously approved marriage equality.
The Conservative movement is the second-biggest Jewish movement in the country, and the Rabbinical Assembly’s sanction applies to 1,600 rabbis across the country. Mazel tov!
The Rabbinical Assembly had previously said that marriages are a-ok, but now they have guidelines for performing marriage rituals (and, alas, handling divorces). And according to the Washington Post, the announcement has been marked by a resounding lack of plotzing.
“There is a tremendous sense of appreciation, of celebration,” said [Rabbi Julie Schonfeld, executive vice president of the movement’s Rabbinical Assembly]. “The guidance is considered thoughtful and helpful to do what it was intended to do … to bring sanctity between people who want to build a Jewish home.”
How about we take this to the next level?
Our newsletter is like a refreshing cocktail (or mocktail) of LGBTQ+ entertainment and pop culture, served up with a side of eye-candy.
Of course, Schonfeld points out, there are likely to be some rabbis who oppose the Assembly’s move, and as far as we’re concerned that’s certainly their prerogative. May God bless and keep them … far away from us.
Frank
Mazel Tov !!!!
Baruch HaShem !!!
Lance
These Conservative Jews may claim they are for same gender marriage but in reality Conservative and Orthodox, and even “Liberal” jews are some of the most homophobic, biphobic, ra cist, and anti LGBT people you will ever meet.
James
No, in reality all marches toward equality and acceptance start with a first step. I thank this group for being on the right side of history.
1equalityUSA
Thank you for putting an end to living inauthentic lives and forcing LGBT people to lie about their true orientations. Secrets hurt everybody. No more secrets!
shjw
@Lance: @Lance:
Wow, this is so antisemitic. I’m a liberal jew and my family and extended family and friends have been nothing but warmhearted and supportive and none of them really care that I’m out. I can assure you, none of us are homophobic, biphobic, racist or transphobic.
Cam
@Lance: said…
“These Conservative Jews may claim they are for same gender marriage but in reality Conservative and Orthodox, and even “Liberal” jews are some of the most homophobic, biphobic, ra cist, and anti LGBT people you will ever meet.”
______________________
You can always tell the bigots like Lance because they will come in there and make a random statement with no proof, links, or backing.
You know what Lance? This is the conservative branch of a major religion in the U.S.that not only has approved marriage but created ceremonies for it. Additionally the only Jewish majority country in the world, Isreal allows foreign gay marriages full standing and allows gays to serve in the military and allows gays fleeing other countries to have asylum.
Oh but yeah, Jews hate gays because you say so.
Spike
Big difference between ‘Conservative’ jews and orthodox jews. Orthodox jews would look in the opposite direction as we are sent to the camps. Anyone ever noticed that everything in reference to the Holocaust, conveniently leaves out the whole pink triangle matter? Hardly by accident.
Cele
I agree that Jews both Conservative, Orthodox, and liberal are against LGBT people and yes it’s true that a lot of them hate black people.
randy
Sorry, but I have to stick up for my jewish friends. They have been more supportive and open about their acceptance of gays and me specifically than a lot of my so-called friends and family.
Anytime and institution, such as the conservative jewish faith, steps up to the plate and actually publically accepts gays and gay marriage, that’s a big, big plus no matter how you look at it. It isn’t window dressing, and they didn’t have to do it in any case. And they did it spite of the fact that some rabbis and members are against it, and that requires a great deal of courage on their part.
Don’t piss on your friends.
Drew
It’s true that Jews are homophobic. I’ve been around them and they don’t know that I’m gay and the homophobic slurs start flying out of their mouths!
Belize
@Drew: “It’s true that Jews are homophobic. I’ve been around them and they don’t know that I’m gay and the homophobic slurs start flying out of their mouths!”
LOL. And just like Republicans who would believe that the deplorable actions of a few gay men represent the LGBT community as a whole, you basically want us to believe that the actions of the “Jews” you’ve been around with best represent their community as a whole. How laughably ironic.
I wouldn’t be surprised if you’re some Christian zealot sent here to discredit Jews simply because Christianity is losing ground with the general hypocrisy of its leaders. If that’s the case, you need help with your demolition skills.
Belize
@Cele: “I agree that Jews both Conservative, Orthodox, and liberal are against LGBT people and yes it’s true that a lot of them hate black people.”
Sorry. But after being subjected to the far right mentality of some people, I tend to not believe silly generalizations of people who claim to have met majority of the Jewish community. 🙂
Belize
@Lance: Since we are suppose to believe that such laughable assertions are facts, I’m just going to believe that you got paid by some other religious denomination to say that.
I’m guessing you’ve been around a lot of “Christian” hicks since this level of bigotry is not without its source, but the quivering status of their religion should suggest that scaring people via sweeping generalizations no longer work that well.
Try harder, kid. You might lose your PR job.
Ron
@Cele: We miss you at Yeshive, why don’t you come back?
Belize
@Spike: “Big difference between ‘Conservative’ jews and orthodox jews. Orthodox jews would look in the opposite direction as we are sent to the camps. Anyone ever noticed that everything in reference to the Holocaust, conveniently leaves out the whole pink triangle matter? Hardly by accident.”
Big difference between left wing gays and right (and oh so wrong) wing gays. If a black person attacks a member of the LGBT, the left wing gays will most likely criticize that black person while the right wing gays (who are conservative since they “conserve” brain power usage) would most likely criticize the whole black community. 🙂 See, I can make assertions too. It’s not that hard. Perhaps you should pick a different demolition method.
Belize
@Ron: Because the Westboro Baptist Church converted him/her along with JayKay who wants to pray the gay away?
Mike
I agree that Jews are highly homophobic.
I grew up around a lot of Jewish people and when I came out to my Jewish “friends” as a teenager and young adult they and their parents called me a fag.
Rick
Jews can be just as homophobic as anyone else. I would argue that Jews are highly homophobic but I have first hand experience.
I am Jewish but I don’t believe in that religion or culture anymore since they want nothing to do with me I want nothing to do with them.
All while growing up I heard my Jewish family and friends making homophobic comments but little did they know how I’m gay.
I did come out to my friends and family as a teenager. I was kicked out of the house and everyone stopped being friends with me. I was also ostracized by people who I grew up with going to Hebrew school with and that includes a Rabbi I knew.
BTW this was not all that long ago either.
Max
It actually is true that Orthodox, Liberal, and Hassidic Jews are very homophobic, sad to say.
Tom
Seriously? Are people on this website really making sweeping accusations of a certain type of behavior and belief against a singular group of people?
Up until about 20 yrs ago it felt as if EVERYONE was homophobic and would use slurs like “fag” and make gay jokes. You can’t make judgements based on a few people you know and expect them to be sound, irrefutable decisions. To paraphrase, “It is true that all Jews are Homophobic because these Jewish people that I know made Gay Joke” makes about as much sense as saying ” All Gala Apples are spoiled because the one I just ate had bad spots.”
Jim H.
@Spike: One of my best friends is a very observant Orthodox Jew. He is quite liberal politically and is very supportive of gay rights, including marriage rights. Keep your anti Semitic nonsense to yourself, please.
Cam
@Cele: said…
“I agree that Jews both Conservative, Orthodox, and liberal are against LGBT people and yes it’s true that a lot of them hate black people.”
__________________________
Oh yes, the Mormons and the Catholics are SO much more accepting.
Do you notice also the “Oh, and they hate black people to”? Right out of NOM’s playbook to divide gays from other minority groups.
What you have here is a bunch of trolls. They are the same people that come in here, try to deny that gays are mistreated by middle eastern countries and try to say that the rights Isreal gives gays are fake. These people are doing EXACTLY what NOM said they were going to try to do.
We get it, you trolls hate gays and want to try to start problems between gays and our natural allies in our fight for rights. Or you are the Jew haters that try to come in here and claim we should hate Isreal because it doesn’t get along with countries that kill gays, and we should ignore the gay rights in that country. Nice try, but try not to be so obvious.
Cam
@Rick:
You’re a liar, I have seen this exact story posted by 4 different commentators on two other sites, you didn’t even bother to correct the typo where you left out the comma.
If all you trolls are going to cut and paste at least correct for grammar and punctuation. Sheesh
pedro
Conservative Jews aren’t actually all that conservative…They aren’t Orthodox or Hasidim….It’s actually sort of misleading to call them conservative, they are only less liberal than reform Jews, but still pretty liberal, all things considered…
Shmuel
First point: The “Conservative” in Conservative Judaism means to “conserve” tradition–keeping the Sabbath, not making big changes in the liturgy, etc. It’s nothing to do with politics.
Secondly, wish I could say I’m surprised to see the Anti-Semitic comments here.
If you don’t know what a big deal this is, then you don’t need to comment on what this means for the Jewish Gay Community. You just don’t know what you’re talking about.
Lance,Cele,Drew,Mike,Rick, and Max — nice try troll, but it’s obvious you’re not 6 different people–even to this bigoted Jew.
I’m gay, Jewish and been supported my entire life by my Jewish community. My partner and I are regularly welcomed in the home of yes…wait for it…Republican members of my Shul.
Sweeping generalizations help no one.
Rick
Cam STFU. I’m telling my story of being raised Jewish, coming out to my fellow Jewish family and friends and being rejected by them because I am not hetero and I happened to be an LGBT person.
Just because you want to deny that yes even Jews can be homophobic and against LGBT people does not mean that my story isn’t true.
There’s still A LOT of homophobia among Jews, and anti-LGBT people who are Jewish even among liberal American Jews.
Paul
Well said Spike! Yes the Jews you mentioned do erase LGBT history and that part of the holocaust.
Big difference between ‘Conservative’ jews and orthodox jews. Orthodox jews would look in the opposite direction as we are sent to the camps. Anyone ever noticed that everything in reference to the Holocaust, conveniently leaves out the whole pink triangle matter? Hardly by accident.
Brandon
Shmuel at least you admit you’re a bigot.
Just because you have been accepted as a gay man by your Jewish friends, peers, and family that does not mean that all LGBT people will be accepted by their peers, friends, and family when they come out.
Little-Kiwi
Some of the most homophobic people I have ever met happened to be Jews.
Also the way a lot of Jews practice infant male genital mutilation or what’s called circumcision is just fucked up.
Sheldon
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fxDHjiw2uoc
Frank
@Little-Kiwi: What’s wrong with being cut?…I love cut men
Cam
@Rick: said…
“Cam STFU. I’m telling my story of being raised Jewish, coming out to my fellow Jewish family and friends and being rejected by them because I am not hetero and I happened to be an LGBT person.”
_________________________________
1. They are the ONLY major religion other than the Episcopalian (Which is having trouble with some of it’s member churches. with this) in the U.S. to institutionally support gay marriage.
2. Funny how you claim this is YOUR story but it’s been up in other areas, with the same typos etc… Again, nice try.
3. This fits the EXACT pattern that NOM said was it’s tactic. Try to drive wedges between gays and minorities. First blacks, and now Jews.
Sorry but it is WAAAAAAAYYYYY too suspicious that a story comes out about a major branch of a major religion supporting gay marriage and all of these coordinated attacks come in trying to say that gays should hate them? Sorry, but your tactic was GLARINGLY obvious.
Nice try bigot.
Spike
@Jim H.: And I’m sure your friend promotes his liberal and pro-gray opinions at Temple every chance he gets. Yea right.
Spike
@Belize: Did you have a point? If so, please make it, as it makes it so much more interesting for the reading audience.
Matt
When a baby boy’s normal, healthy penis is circumcised, this is what is lost – forever:
1. The foreskin, which comprises up to 50% (sometimes more) of the mobile skin system of the penis.
This highly specialized tissue normally covers the glans and protects it from abrasion, drying, callousing (keratinisation), and contaminants of all kinds. The effect of glans keratinisation on human sexuality has never been studied.
2. The frenar band of soft ridges – the primary erogenous zone of the male body. Loss of this delicate belt of densely innervated, sexually responsive tissue reduces the fine-tuning of male sexual response.
3. The foreskin’s “gliding action” – the hallmark mechanical feature of the intact penis. This non-abrasive gliding of the penis in and out of itself within the vagina facilitates smooth, comfortable, pleasurable intercourse for both partners. Without this gliding, sealing action, the shaft of the circumcised penis functions as a leaky piston, drawing vaginal lubricants out into the drying air and often making artificial lubricants essential for comfortable intercourse.
4. Thousands of coiled fine-touch mechanoreceptors called Meissner’s corpuscles, the most important sensory component of the foreskin, encapsulated Vater-Pacinian cells, Merkel’s cells, nociceptors, and branches of the dorsal nerve and perineal nerve. Altogether, between 10,000 and 20,000 specialized erotogenic nerve endings of several types, which can feel slight motion and stretch, subtle changes in temperature, and fine gradations in texture, are lost.
5. The frenulum, the highly erogenous web-like tethering structure on the underside of the glans; frequently amputated along with the foreskin, which destroys its function and potential for pleasure.
6. Approximately half of the temperature-sensitive smooth muscle sheath called the dartos fascia.
7. The immunological defense system of the soft mucosa. This produces both plasma cells that secrete immunoglobulin antibodies and antibacterial and antiviral proteins such as the pathogen-killing enzyme lysozyme.
8. Estrogen receptors – the purpose of which is not yet fully understood and needs further study.
9. The apocrine glands of the inner foreskin, which produce pheromones – nature’s powerful, silent, invisible behavioral signals to potential sexual partners. The effect of their absence on human sexuality has never been studied.
10. Specialized epithelial Langerhans cells, a first line component of the body’s immune system in a whole penis.
11. The pink to red to dark purple natural coloration of the glans. The connective tissue which protectively fuses the foreskin and glans together while the penis develops is ripped apart during circumcision, wounding the glans and the foreskin remnant, leaving them raw and subject to infection, scarring, pitting, shrinkage, and eventual discoloration.
12. Some of the penis length and penis circumference because its double-layered wrapping of loose and usually overhanging foreskin is now missing, making the circumcised penis truncated and thinner than a full-sized penis.
13. Several feet of blood vessels, including the frenular artery and branches of the dorsal artery. The loss of this rich vascularization interrupts normal blood flow to the shaft and glans of the penis, damaging the natural function of the penis and altering its development. [The superior dorsal artery is invariably swollen in the erect circumcised penis, compared to the intact.]
14. The penis: every year some boys lose their entire penises from circumcision accidents and infections. They are then “sexually reassigned” by castration and “transgender surgery,” and expected to live their lives as “females.”
15. Life: every year some boys lose their lives from the complications of circumcision – the exact number is unknown, since these deaths are usually attributed to their secondary causes, infection or bleeding.
16. Bonding: the extreme pain of circumcision (or the effects of anaesthesia) disrupt the infant’s bonding with his mother, with unknown effects on his future psychological and psychosocial development.
17. Intimacy: the removal of a large area of mucous membrane, the foreskin, and the hardening of another, the glans, reduces the potential for intimacy conferred by these tissues – as it is conferred by highly comparable structures, the lips.
Drew
Jim H. cool story bro.
Shmuel
@Brandon: Never said it did.
Shmuel
I knew this would turn into an Anti-Semitic forum. What else is new?
Cam
@Matt:
This is a gay page, and this is an article about gay rights.
The sick desperation to change the topic away from that shows that your bigotry is all encompassing.
Shmuel
@Brandon: Speaking of bigots, is your Swastika pink?
ousslander
@Drew: nothing like like lumping an entire group of people together and assigning them stereotypes. Change jew to black, gay or muslim and all you bigots would not say a word and would castigate anyone who spoke like you are now.
Lucas
Shmuel Way to be a professional victim. Big surprise there. There’s nothing anti-Jewish or Anti-Semitic being posted on this page.
Shmuel
@Lucas: When an article about a major religious movement accepting gays turns into complaints against said religion, then yes, it is anti-religious.
In this case, against Judaism.
Even your comment “Big Surprise there” belies your sentiment.
Thanks for making my case. Lucas,Lance,Cele,Drew,Mike,Rick,Max or whatever name you’re using this time.
Lucas
Shmuel just because people are questioning or even *Gasp* critical of Judaism and saying yes how Jews are homophobic and against LGBT people, it does not make them Anti-Jew or Anti-Semitic. Despite the way many Jews even yourself love to play the professional victim/anti-semitism card there’s no anti-semitism being written here at all.
People post things here on queerty that are critical or and/or question Islam and Christianity yet nobody will claim that they’re being Anti-Moslem, Islamophobic, or Anti-Christian.
Kate
Sheldon-I watched that youtube video that Rabbi is an idiot! Jews can be just as homophobic as anyone else of any other religion or spirituality.
Cam
@Lucas: said…
“Shmuel Way to be a professional victim. Big surprise there. There’s nothing anti-Jewish or Anti-Semitic being posted on this page.”
____________________-
Oh please, you bigots are all the same. The KKK and anti black groups always say that they don’t hate blacks, they feel that everybody is better off if people were separate blah blah blah….
The anti-gay groups claim not to hate us. And now, after a bunch of posters on here are attacking a group that just came out in support of gays, AND put their money where their mouth is, by actually altering their religious practices to support us, you claim that they weren’t being attacked?
LOL! Again, nice try bigot, nice try.
GayJew
Cam quit trolling nobody cares. You’re the only actual bigot here and you love talking to yourself.
ousslander
@Lucas: There have been many post about Islam/muslims with comments similar to the ones above and what happens? They are call neocon scum and islamophobic. There have been plenty of anti-christian articles and comments on Queerty
Are there good and bad in every group of course. It’s the steretyping of said group for the actions of a few.
So in your mind all gays being labeled as promiscuous, nelly and predatory is ok with you?
J.T.
I don’t care if people claim that most gays are promiscuous or nelly since it’s pretty much true!
I would not say that we are predatory though.
jaded
I’m Jewish. Chasidim won’t even let men and women sit together if they’re not married, forget about gay marriage. But to lump all Conservative and liberal Jews in together and say they’re all anti-gay and anti-black is just trying to stir up shit. I’m sorry if someone’s Jewish relatives hate them because they’re LGBT but it’s not fair to base all Jews on that. For one thing, the age range has a lot to do with it. My father is pro-gay rights but had a problem with it being called “marriage.” He’s going to be 77 this year. My mom’s sister is a lesbian and no one disowned her and we’re all close with my aunt. I’m bi and was in a lesbian relationship for three years and no one disowned me. But it would not be fair for me to base all Jewish behavior on my family either.
Those who want to paint everyone with the same brush are not interested in debate, they want to create hate. Period.
Oh OK
Most Jews are against LGBT people and are very homophobic/biphobic, and as a black man I have noticed how they are highly ra cist too!
Jack
81% of American Jews are in favor of equal marriage rights. As of 2009, 61% of Israelis favored equal marriage rights. But yes, a bunch of unsubstantiated claims must be true. All written by people who have probably never met a Jewish person before. Judging only by Queerty message boards, I would conclude that gay people are highly discriminatory.
Riker
Guys, it would appear this thread is being attacked by an entire drawer-full of sockpuppets. I can pretty easily identify at least 4 different names on this thread that would appear to be the same person, based on speech pattern and choice of nickname. Hint: take a look for short, one-syllable account names that resemble common American Surnames and don’t seem to have ever posted here before. They all express nearly identical points of view, and have an identical pattern of not using commas properly/creating run-on sentences.
I’d say some NOM intern is trying to drive a wedge between us.
shmuel
It’s not working for the NOM pervert. Granted, I’ve argued with it, but it ‘s quite obviously one person. YOUR PITIFUL INSTITUTION IS ALREADY DEAD, NOM!
CHIP1218
Sorry, but this conversation is about Conservative Jews, not Hassidic and Lebuvitch movements within Orthodox Judaism. They are the minority of Jews in the USA, Reformed and Conservative are the majority of American Jews. Close to 80% of American Jews in NY support gay marriage and about 70% of Jews nationwide. Judaism is the least homophobic of the three major religions in USA – Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. I am sorry for all those who had a bad experience with Jewish friends or family, but your experiences would be an outlier compared to how those experiences play out every day amongst Christians and Muslims.
It is funny how the one group of white American society that did the most to advance the civil rights of African Americans is now accused as the most racist. Jews marched for civil rights and helped advance the movement in the Deep South in more numbers than any white Christian denomination.
As for the LGBT rights movement, Jewish Americans have been instrumental in a disportionate amount of our advances.
We are all entitled to anecdotal stories, but recorded history and statistics do not lie.
Riker
@shmuel: It may or may not be working for NOM, but i’m sure it is working for somebody. The sock master is too targeted and specific to just be some random troll; he obviously has an agenda to make gays and Jews distrust one another. I don’t agree with certain things that individual Jews and the government of Israel have said and done, but that in no way changes that Jewish culture is much more friendly to gays than most of the other major religions in the United States.
CHIP1218
I can’t understand why Queerty keeps blocking my comments on this topic. Probably because the ownership/moderators know I am Jewish. Hopefully, my rational breakdown of this topic will eventually get posted. For now, let me join with the anecdotal stories.
I grew up in Conservative Judaism in NY. When I came out when I was in my early 20s, maybe 1 or 2 of my Jewish friends became less of my friends. My rabbis and cantors never cared. I am the alumni advisor of a Jewish fraternity from my university, and no one cares that I am gay. I work on projects with the Director of Hillel on that campus, and they don’t care that I am gay. More than one member of the Hillel Board of Trustees has been gay since I can remember.
I moved to Upstate South Carolina with my partner in 2010. He is Orthodox Christian. If you asked him which people we have met that are the most welcoming to gays, he would say the Jews. We go to synagogue once in awhile for holidays and the old southern Jewish grandmas are friendlier to us than some of his own colleagues at university. They ask us when we are getting married, teach us baking tips, and one 70-something woman even insisted on her knitting our prayer shawls for when we do get married. No one has asked him to convert, and no one has referred to him as “my friend” – they all recognize us as partners and equals like anyone else coming to the synagogue. And this is in the heart of Southern Conservatism. I can’t imagine any other religious denomination in South Carolina having such an open community.
I am sorry if some ultra-orthodox Jew with his beard and hat called someone a “fagala,” but that is not representative of all Jews in America.
shmuel
@Riker:It ‘ s no secret that the Orthodoxy is no friend of the gay movement. I am lucky to be 2 generations removed from it. But I can’t stand someone making others believe the Ortodoxy represent Judaism as a whole.
As for Israel, I have to remind myself that it is ruled by men and not G _d and therefore not perfect. However it still holds a dear place in my heart. It is important to remember that Israel is a country and not a religion.
Shalom Aleichem.
Cam
@Oh OK: said…
“Most Jews are against LGBT people and are very homophobic/biphobic, and as a black man I have noticed how they are highly ra cist too!”
_________________
In your posts on Queerty you have attacked white people, women, and now Jews.
If anybody is a bigot or a r a cist, it’s you.
Cam
@GayJew: said…
“Cam quit trolling nobody cares. You’re the only actual bigot here and you love talking to yourself.”
________________________
I LOVE it when the bigots think that by choosing some phone screename people might believe it.
Sorry NOM sock puppet, the Mormons tried to do that during the Pro 8 issue. They would all have screenames that used the word “Gay” etc…
But, nice try bigot.
TASTEY GOODIES
I AM A BLACK WOMAN AND I HAVE NOTICED HOW JEWS ARE HIGHLY HOMOPHOBIC AND YES THEY ARE RA_CIST TOWARDS BLACKS AND PEOPLE OF COLOR!
Matt
It’s no secret that Orthodox Jews and a lot of other type of Jews are against LGBT people. Even in Israel where they claim that they’re not against LGBT people you’ll find A LOT of homophobia and anti-LGBT people there.
Not to nitpick...
CHIP1218 you’re playing the victim, and Jewish. Big surprise there!
I have been to Isarel and as a gay man it’s not that LGBT friendly. It’s not that tolerant of LGBT people and most Jews who are from Isarel are very homophobic.
Tommy Ossulander
My husband is obese, fugly, and has a micro penis!
Harry
I was raised Jewish and I wound up coming out as gay. Like others who have posted here I was rejected by my family and everyone who I went to Hebrew school with.
Steve
Jews can be just as homophobic if not more so than Conservative Christians and Moslems.
My partner is Jewish and he told me horror stories of being rejected by his family and Jewish friends, and people in our local community who are Jewish are NOT welcoming towards LGBT people at all.
Oh OK
Cam just where have I attacked white people, women, or Jews? Nowhere have I done this. Then again people like you will see bigotry in everything but are the actual true bigots.
No it’s not a secret that most Jews are very ra_cist towards black people.
David1950
I have noticed how a lot of Jews will claim that they’re all about diversity, for LGBT rights, same gender marriage, etc. but behind closed doors or when Jews don’t assume that you’re LGBT the anti-LGBT speech and cries of “fagala,” come out.
Then again the same Jews like to pretend that they are “God’s chosen people” when we all are God’s chosen people, and a lot of Jews will call non-Jews “Goyim” and call whoever dares question Judaism or Isarel “Anti-Semitic”.
Also a lot of Jews are highly Islamophobic and Zionists and this does not include mainly the Jews from Isarel either.
Drew
Randy-Yes actually it is window dressing.
CHIP1218
@Not to nitpick…: How did I play victim? Was that your attempt of a Holocaust joke? I am sorry that there are some people who had a bad experience with a Jewish person, but chances are they were an ultra-orthodox Jew. That is like having a conversation with the Pope and saying “all Catholics must be…” or meeting a Muslim fundamentalist and saying “all Muslims are terrorists.”
With everyone sharing anecdotal stories about Israel, I had my first gay kiss in Tel Aviv in August 1994, and would have gone further if my roommates didn’t come home earlier than planned! Also, I can’t fathom how all these gay magazines in the USA and Europe would rank Tel Aviv as so gay friendly if Israelis are secretly homophobic.
By the way, where is Isarel? I never been to that country, must put it on my to do list!
Harry
Rick, thanks for writing your story. I know the trolls here will think that we are liars but we know the truth and we have had our life experiences of being rejected by our Jewish friends and family for being gay.
Israel is homophobic
SHILO, West Bank (AP) — Rabbi Arele Harel offers an unconventional solution for Orthodox Jewish gay men who want to raise a conventional family: He fixes them up with Orthodox lesbians.
His matchmaking service, which has just gone online, has met criticism on opposing fronts. Orthodox Jewish rabbis say Harel should be doing more to encourage gays and lesbians to try to change their sexual orientation.
Not to nitpick...
See there you go again! Playing the victim and claiming holocaust refrences and so called antisemitism when none of this is there.
I’m glad you’ve been to Israel. I have too and Tel Aviv is NOT LGBT friendly at all. My partner and I had slurs yelled at us and as gay men we did not feel safe.
CHIP1218
Ok, after reading all these posts I have noticed that those who are espousing the belief that Jews are more anti-LGBT than Christians and Muslims (!!!!) are misspelling simple words. A real reader with a thought out opinion to share would not be constantly misspelling easy words multiple times in the same post. I hope the new owners of this blog realize their comments have been taken over by interest groups. I read this site because I knew the creator while he first started this in his dorm room. It is so sad to see how this site has fallen.
MikeSF
Tell Rabbi Yehuda Levin and his followers that Jews somehow are mostly all for LGBT rights and same gender marriage.
In reality most Jews are not for LGBT rights or nearly as accepting of LGBT people as posters here are claiming.
Zach
CHIP1218 what’s your point? Who cares? This is the internet and typos happen.
Yes queerty has gone way downhill. Are you just noticing this now or something? Queerty has always been this way it’s like a trainwreck dude.
CHIP1218
@CHIP1218:
I have never played victim on this site let alone this posting. My story was all about how great my experience as a gay man coming out to their Jewish friends and family. How it has not impacted my life in any way. Everyone loves my partner, and even though we are not yet married considers him basically my spouse. How is that a story of woe?
All day long I have tried to post on this topic with links to Pew polls, Gallup polls, etc. showing the overwhelming support for marriage equality and lgbt rights based on religious affiliation – and since my posts were flagged as possibly violating the posting code, I decided to join everyone with the anecdotal stories. Anecdotal stories cannot be refuted, you either take them at face value or you do not. Facts and statistics cannot be refuted without looking like a political spin doctor.
You and your partner walked somewhere in Tel Aviv and got yelled at, I am sorry you had that experience. Where were you? What street or by what hotel/restaurant? If you were near Yaffa, that would be the Arab neighborhood. If you were near a yeshiva, you could have near a Hassidic or Lebuvitch neighborhood, in which case they would have yelled slurs at a woman wearing short shorts. Have you ever seen Bruno? When Sascha Baron Cohen dressed like a sexy Orthodox Jew they ran him away, but he was in an Orthodox neighborhood, not walking down Ben Yehuda Street in Jerusalem or around Diesendorf Circle in Tel Aviv.
However, this article post is about Conservative Judaism in the USA creating rules for same sex marriage rituals. I have been to dozens of Jewish weddings as a gay man, and have never been unable to dance with, or even kiss my partner at these occasions.
Facts and statistics are universal truths. Anecdotes are open to the feelings of the person hearing/reading them. You read my posts and say I am playing the victim card. I read your posts and am curious as to the lack of specific details like mine have.
JB
There are anti-LGBT people and bigots/homophobes in every religion even Judaism and many Jewish people are very against LGBT people even in the United States.
Cam
@Israel is homophobic:
And THERE it is! The typical bigot and anti-gay person who comes in and tries to get gays to not support Isreal’s gay rights, by pretending that they are anti-gay. Thank you for revealing yourself bigot. You support countries that murder gays, you are anti-gay.
Jake
Cam nobody cares.
I’ve met Jews both from the US and from Israel and they were some of the most homophobic people I have ever met.
T.C.
Yes it’s true that Israel has homophobic people and that most Israelis are not for LGBT rights.
Roland
I have been to Israel and I agree that it is NOT gay/LGBT friendly and the people are not either. I have noticed that American Jews are very homophobic as well but as others have written some Jews are open about being homophobic and anti LGBT but others are bigoted behind closed doors.