Pride In Our Identities With Jewish Social Theory |
Pride Month is approaching, although Jewish LGBTQ activists like me have lived and worked under the presumption that Pride Day Is Every Day, with international effect! You are welcome. And that’s why I get to wear the big bifocals. Charmed, I’m sure.
Just today I ordered a rainbow Star of David necklace from Pride Shack. You can too. Here’s that link. I will probably wear mine under my shirt for safety reasons, but it will be close to my heart. It’s tiring for us gay folks to start all the cool social and fashion trends, but someone has to. (Smirk.)
https://www.prideshack.com/rainbow-ray-star-of-david-necklace-jewish-gay-lesbian-lgbt-judaism-pride-pendant/?srsltid=AfmBOooOr62yWaX6ghzPqLsWB5jH2QM4rkdrhHBbHubVXs_RDKAikrRM
I recently wrote to an old university friend about the problem of internalizing self-hatred. The same holds true for any minority community facing oppression and discrimination, although the LGBTQ community has been subjected for millennia to more than its share of social, legal, religious, and educational disapproval. It takes a lot of strength to buck that tide legally, but we did, and we prevailed. Even in Israel! Yay team. Yom Ga’ava Sameach! Be proud of ALL you are! Every day!
Once again, with feeling, please join me in supporting the Jerusalem Open House for Pride and Tolerance this Pride Season. It’s a safe and easy and charitable way to express your pro-Israel and proud pro-LGBTQ identity, whether you are a friend, ally, family member, or member of our LGBTQ community. I do it every year! Donations are easiest through JGive in US dollars. Here are those links. Learn more about the JOH at their link too.
https://www.jgive.com/new/en/usd/charity-organizations/2905
https://www.joh.org.il/en/homepage/
I am so impressed by the inclusivity of their excellent programs and that they span all age groups. It’s a great way to celebrate Pride, with no sunstroke, no hate crimes, no crowds, no Portapotties, and no anti-semites. With the economic challenges currently facing Israel, they need our support more than ever.
For the sociologists in the house, it might interest you to know that coming out and developing pride in our LGBTQ identities is a lifelong process, and that the mainstream Jewish community has a lot to learn from the LGBTQ community in this regard.
Jews and Israel have always been........