Are Jewish Individuals Permitted to Identify as Gay?

The origins of the established stance of Judaism concerning homosexuality and associated matters are quite renowned. In Leviticus, specifically chapters eighteen verse twenty-three and twenty verse thirteen, two verses articulate an unambiguous denunciation of sexual activity between males (although whether this pertains specifically to intercourse or all forms of sexual conduct among males remains ambiguous). According to Leviticus chapter twenty verse thirteen, "If a man engages in sexual relations with another man as he would with a woman, both individuals have perpetrated a detestable act; without question, they shall suffer death; their culpability rests upon them."

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As suggested by its phrasing, the biblical restriction does not encompass homosexual actions between females, although later interpreters voiced disapproval of lesbianism. One rabbinical source links female homosexuality to the practices of Egyptians and Canaanites, from which the Jewish people are expected to refrain. Other experts depict lesbianism as either indecent or unrestrained, while stopping short of deeming it a capital offense. The Leviticus verses additionally insinuate that it is the act of same-sex intimacy, rather than the individual with same-sex attraction, that is considered repulsive.

Considerable emphasis has been placed on the term 'abomination' (to'evah in its Hebrew form). Although the wording might appear severe, this same descriptor is utilized in Deuteronomy chapter fourteen verse three to denote animals deemed forbidden. Numerous traditional texts soften the severity of the "abomination" by pointing out the lack of potential for procreation as the underlying cause for the abominable characteristic of homosexual behavior. Interestingly, the medieval text known as Sefer HaHinuch draws parallels between engaging in homosexual relations and marrying a woman unable to conceive.

Regardless, the established Jewish view on homosexuality continues to pose challenges for numerous liberal-minded adherents of Judaism. Liberal denominations have thus debated the degree to which individuals identifying as gay or lesbian can attain complete integration within religious congregations.

EXPLORE: Conservative Jewish Law and Homosexuality

The primary, and least contentious, action undertaken by the Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform branches involved advocating for equal civil rights for gay and lesbian individuals. The CCAR, which serves as the rabbinical council for the Reform movement, assumed an early and proactive stance in advocating for gay rights. Back in nineteen seventy-seven, it developed a request aimed at decriminalizing same-sex relations and ending all forms of bias rooted in sexual orientation.

But, what strategies are employed to circumvent the apparently explicit biblical prohibition that targets homosexuality?

Numerous advocates striving to secure comprehensive religious rights for gay and lesbian individuals utilize research findings that highlight the involuntary essence inherent in homosexuality. The halakhic, or legal, term ahnoos pertains to someone who, even when instructed to execute a specific action, lacks genuine agency in the matter. In Judaism, accountability for religious obligations is restricted to actions that one willingly opts to undertake. Consequently, certain Jewish authorities have proposed that, given the absence of choice in homosexuality, its outward manifestation should not be deemed forbidden.

Indeed, the Reform movement refrains from condemning homosexual acts, and openly gay individuals qualify for enrollment in Reform rabbinical academies. Furthermore, the Reform movement sanctions rabbinic officiating during same-sex marital unions, as well as commitment ceremonies.

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Daniel Siegel, in his capacity as the Rabbinic Director of ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has given his endorsement to same-sex marital arrangements primarily due to his conviction that holiness should not be exclusively reserved for specific individuals or particular relationships. Similarly, within Reconstructionist Judaism, same-sex marriage holds value as a religious principle. Utilizing this concept as her foundation, Rebecca Alpert, a Reconstructionist rabbi, has contended that the government's denial of recognition for same-sex marriages infringes upon religious freedoms.

Selective rabbis operating within the Conservative faction likewise invoke the concept of ones, a circumstance wherein an individual possesses no viable alternative, when authorizing homosexual relations. In December of two thousand and six, the Conservative Movement's Law Committee conducted a vote to acknowledge two conflicting teshuvot, or stances, pertaining to homosexuality within Jewish Law — one reaffirming established conventions, while the other advocated for change. The outcome of the vote implies that rabbis, synagogues, and other institutions affiliated with the Conservative stream may either elect to sustain their denial of commitment ceremonies and their practice of refraining from hiring openly gay or lesbian rabbis and cantors, or they may elect to embrace such practices. Both perspectives are deemed legitimate. This determination has additionally prepared for the movement to proceed with the ordination of rabbis who openly identify as gay.

In more recent years, augmented awareness has emerged concerning the presence of gay and lesbian individuals within more conventional Jewish communities. Numerous organizations and support networks are in operation for Jewish individuals who identify as gay and express an inclination toward sustaining a conventional Jewish way of life. Steven Greenberg, a Jewish educator who identifies as gay and has attained ordination as an Orthodox rabbi, dedicates himself to writing and lecturing on the prospects available for gay and lesbian individuals within the Orthodox community. Finally, Trembling Before G-d, which garnered significant critical acclaim as a documentary released in two thousand and nine centered around Orthodox Jewish individuals who identify as gay, has exerted a substantial impact in terms of increasing awareness surrounding homosexuality within the Orthodox sphere.

Transgender Concerns

Another significant development that took place throughout the second decade of the twenty-first century has encompassed an escalating degree of acceptance pertaining to transgender individuals, which also included backing such persons. A transgender person is a person who has a gender identity that is different from the gender they were assigned at birth. Increased familiarity among Jewish people with the concept of the transgender community has corresponded with more expansive discussions across mainstream American culture. This was in part triggered by the widely publicized transition of celebrity athlete Bruce, now known as Caitlyn, Jenner and the popular Amazon series Transparent, which tells the narrative of a Jewish family where the father transitions into a female.

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The Reform faction, during two thousand and fifteen, disseminated a resolution that communicated its support for the rights of transgender individuals. Some months afterwards, the Conservative movement put forth a similar resolution. Moreover, numerous Jewish establishments, inclusive of summer camps, have initiated measures oriented toward extending accommodations to and showing hospitality to Jewish persons who identify as transgender.

As was detailed in a report issued by JTA in April of two thousand and sixteen, 'even in the Orthodox realm, which erects the highest obstacles to the embrace of transgender individuals, from both a cultural standpoint and within the framework of Jewish law, there are individuals who are starting conversations about the importance of identifying avenues to extend inclusivity to trans Jews.'

To access this document, "Jewish Perspectives on Homosexuality," in the Spanish language (leer en Español), follow this link.