Gay Orthodox Jews See Growing Acceptance In Israel

[King_David]

By Michele Chabin
c. 2011 Religion News Service

TEL AVIV, Israel (RNS) Though never short on spectacle, this year's annual gay pride festival was even more colorful with a parade float, sponsored by Google, representing the country's religious gay and lesbian communities.

Dressed in shorts and T-shirts bearing the words "Religious Pride Community," the 20- and 30-somethings who accompanied the float on Friday (June 10) smiled proudly if even a bit self-consciously when onlookers did a double take or shouted, "Good for you!"

While Israeli law forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation in most areas of life, and gay soldiers can serve openly in the military, the public at large is only beginning to accept the notion that observant Jews can be both openly religious and openly gay.

Religious Jews who are gay or lesbian have traditionally hidden their sexual orientation from their rabbis and others because traditional interpretations of the Torah consider same-gender sexuality an "abomination."

Within Orthodox communities, the Modern Orthodox are much more open-minded than the ultra-Orthodox, many of whom still view homosexuality as an unspeakable sin.


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/13/gay-orthodox-jews_n_876296.html