Alef: The NEXT Conversation

Why Gay Pride Matters to Alef

By Richard Skeen

Alef editorial meetings are usually lively and opinionated (would you expect anything different?), but in a recent meeting where we decided to extend our Gay Pride issue an extra week, the difference in our views struck me as a story within a story. The debate was around how much of our audience – young Jewish adults – cared enough about Gay Pride stories to sustain another week. While traffic and participation suggested the theme resonated with many, some from our team argued that Gay Jewish identity was no different than any other Jewish identity, and shouldn’t get an extra week. How central, in the context of Jewish identity, is Gay Pride?

Today is the Gay Pride parade in lower Manhattan, my old neighborhood. While dropping kids off at Summer camp precludes me from actively participating, this day always brings me back to fond memories of my first New York home. I lived just off Gay Street (named after the Captain, not the identity, but still…), two blocks from the Stonewall Tavern (the birthplace of the American Gay rights movement – think Paul Revere, but riding in leather chaps) in the heart of Greenwich Village. My neighborhood, like the fashion magazine world I worked in, was bursting with LGBT folks drawn to the lack of prejudice and the vibrant scene of the Village. And while I was a floundering heterosexual, I was a huge beneficiary of living amongst my Gay neighbors: from top flight gyms and restaurants to colorful and clever stoops and doorways, the wide array of boutique shops to a happy-vibe on the sidewalks, the huge Gay presence created a kind of utopia and richer life for all of us.

While the various Jewish denominations take different views on same-sex marriage and the kind of love permissible under Halacha (Jewish law), our people have a better track record than most when it comes to Gay rights. Certainly among young Jewish adults, full acceptance of, and support for gay rights is common. Israel’s gay-rights record is well ahead of the curve, and Tel Aviv is among the top Gay vacation spots in the world. But is that good enough?

In a recent essay about the importance of including the LGBT community completely into the Jewish community, philanthropist Lynn Schusterman argues that despite much progress, we are still behind where we should be in providing an inclusive environment for all Jews: “In an era when all Jews are Jews by choice, our community and, in turn, our nation benefits from every source of Jewish vitality and strength, including the creativity and vibrancy of LGBT Jews.”

Though still new, Alef has explored many kinds of Jewish identity, and the issues confronted with being Jewish in a world that is pluralistic and complicated. We have learned a lot, been inspired and come to realize the huge value in the vast diversity of the contemporary Jewish experience. We recognize that many issues are nuanced and complex, but we are sure that the Jewish community is richer for having participation from the LGBT community, and hope that all of Kol Yisrael will work to grow that participation. We think this is important, and we hope you do too.

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Photo by sgt fun, licensed under Creative Commons.

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Read more posts from the Gay Pride issue.

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