The Minyan: LGBTQ Jews
Pride Month should not be the only time we check in on how the Jewish community has changed when it comes to LGBTQ Jews. But Pride Month is a nice excuse to gather 10 LGBTQ Jews and ask whether they’ve found a home in Jewish life—if they were seeking one.
The participants in this inaugural edition of The Minyan were found by reaching out to rabbis, LGBTQ leaders, and friends whom I trust around the country. I asked for recommendations on who might be thoughtful and candid about their Jewish reality right now, and I pre-interviewed every person before our June 9 conversation to get a sense of their story and assure a variety of background, age, identity, and geography. Every person in this group could warrant a fascinating and educating article on his/her/their own, but the common denominator is this: They identify as LGBTQ, and they all care about being connected to Jewish community in some way.
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How many of you think of the Jewish community as a welcoming place for LGBTQ Jews? Show of hands. I’m seeing nine wavering hands that suggest you’re in between yes and no. None of you say the Jewish community is fully welcoming. Daniel answers no. Why?
Daniel: There definitely are many parts and places of the Jewish community that are welcoming. But so much of it is not. I was born and raised in an Orthodox community and affiliated with a lot of Orthodox communities. Because there’s so much in the Orthodox community and outside it that is either not accepting of LGBT at all or only accepting of certain parts—like lesbian and gay but not trans people, for example—that it wouldn’t be fair to say we’re welcoming as a Jewish community while such a large chunk of people are stuck in communities where that is not the case.
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