Standing for Acceptance
Jews, Judaisms, and Jewish Identities
May 8th, 2008
After assembling into an organized movement in the mid 1970’s, Gay Jews have stood up for the acceptance within their own identity, yet they do indeed follow Jewish law, identifying with the Jewish community that separates them apart. Since this organized movement, over 60 GLBT (Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender) synagogues have been erected and are used as houses of prayer. (Chernick 193) With routed interpretations of homosexuality being an abomination in Judaism, Gay Jews have hidden their true identity in order to be accepted within this diasporic community they call their own. Though contradicting the mainstream interpretation of Jewish law, Gay Jews live and breathe the cultures and traditions of Judaism through Jewish rituals and studies, thus preserving the Jewish identity. Beginning with the common Orthodox interpretation on homosexuality and leading into the lifestyles and movements for Gay Jew rights within Judaism, this paper will argue for acceptance of homosexuality within the Orthodox Jewish community.
In determining the rejection of the homosexual orientation within Judaism, Orthodox Jews refer to the Torah as means of interpretation. There are an abundance of scriptures that Orthodox Jews base as evidence. One scripture in particular that Orthodoxy bases their homosexual viewpoint on is Genesis 1:28, which states, “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful and multiply…” The mainstream Orthodox interpretation uses this against homosexuality by interpreting Go ...