LGBT & Judaism

Within Judaism, there are many shades of LGBT acceptance:

The Reconstructionist Movement was the first movement to publicly address the issue on homosexuality and same-sex marriage in their 1988 report. The Reconstructionist Rabbinical College was the first Jewish seminary to accept openly gay and lesbian students.

LGBT Jews and their families are fully included in Jewish communal life. Reconstructionist rabbis are free to perform same-sex marriage ceremonies.

The Reform Movement has a long and proud history of working for full inclusion of LGBT people in Jewish life and for their full civil rights. In fact, in 1965, the Women of Reform Judaism were calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality. Resolutions by the Union for Reform Judaism and the Central Conference of American Rabbis followed.

LGBT Jews and their families are welcome in all Reform temples. LGBT Jews may be ordained as rabbis. Most Reform rabbis officiate at same-sex ceremonies.

The Conservative Movement used to hold the same position as Orthodox Judaism. However, since the 2000's, they have issued several resolutions in which they affirm that LGBT Jews are an integral part of the movement's families, synagogues and communities. Currently, Conservative Judaism endorses full and equal civil rights for LGBT people.

LGBT rabbis can serve openly since 2006. In the 2010's, the American and British branches of Conservative Judaism formally approved same-sex marriage ceremonies. Nonetheless, the Conservative communities may choose not to conduct same-sex ceremonies.

The Orthodox Movement has a variety of views regarding LGBT people. Its traditional position on homosexuality is well known: two verses in Leviticus (18:22 and 20:13) express unequivocal condemnation of male homosexual sex. The Talmud also disapproves of lesbianism: Shabbat 65a/b and Yevamot 76a.

Orthodox Judaism mostly affirms that Judaism legislates only acts, not orientations. Therefore, homosexual people should not be cast out from the community, even though openly LGBT rabbis are not ordained. It is the homosexual activity that is condemned. Orthodox Judaism opposes marriage equality and will not officiate at a same-sex wedding or affirm same-sex relationships. Even worse, some will even reject LGBT members and/or endorse discredited "reparative therapy."

LGBT Rights

The Stonewall riots were a series of demonstrations by members of the LGBT community against a police raid that took place in the early morning hours of June 28th, 1969, at the Stonewall Inn. This tavern, which was frequented by gay men, was located in the Greenwich Village neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. The riots continued until July 3rd, 1969.

These events marked the first time that gays and lesbians as a group forcefully and vocally asserted their rights to equality under the law. Until then, LGBT people had mostly been harassed, penalized and discriminated against. Therefore, the Stonewall riots are considered as the single most important event that led to the modern movements for LGBT civil rights, which in many countries −mostly in Europe and America− have already achieved equality on topics like marriage and unions, adoption, military service, and anti-discrimination based on sexual orientation.

This historical rebellion is commemorated annually during the month of June in thousands of parades and festivals around the world collectively known as LGBT Pride, which is a positive stance against discrimination, shame, social stigma and violence against LGBT people. Those negative attitudes are still faced by some people, especially in countries in Africa and Asia, ranging from restricted freedom of expression through penalties, including imprisonment and death.

While I was writing this article, on June 26th, 2015, same-sex marriage was effectively legalized in the United States following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Prior to this, there were already 38 states in which same-sex marriage was legal at least to some degree. In this way, the United States joins a list of countries in which same-sex marriage is performed. 

Although not performed, Israel, Malta, and Mexico recognize same-sex marriages performed abroad. Indeed, some Mexican states −Campeche*, Chihuahua, Coahuila, Guerrero*, Jalisco*, Nayarit*, Quintana Roo, and Mexico City− have already legalized same-sex marriages and it looks like the country might be the next to join the list. In the United Kingdom, though, Northern Ireland treats same-sex marriages as civil partnerships so far.

UPDATE (06/08/2016):

I have to add Colombia and Greenland to the list of countries in which same-sex marriages are legal. Keep them coming!!! =)

*added after the article was published

Ex-Smoker

Recently, I have been interviewed by Tabex about my experience as an ex-smoker.

Even though I quit cold turkey, I support any method that has been approved to assist people to give up smoking.

READ: Smoke Free For One Year

I am very grateful for this chance and I hope my example encourages others to stop smoking:

Why did you start smoking?

I started smoking because I thought it was cool. It made me feel less insecure as a person. It felt like it was the perfect accessory when I had to socialize.

For how long did you smoke before you quit?

I was a smoker for 10 years before I quit. I started at 20 and quit at 30.

How many times did you try to quit?

I lost count of all the times I tried to quit. I do recall two failed attempts that lasted approximately 6 months each.

What made you start smoking again?

In those two aforementioned failed attempts, I went back to smoking while drinking at parties and believing that just one cigarette would not matter. But, of course, it did.

How did you manage to quit eventually?

I quit cold turkey. Previously, I had been smoking less and less and reading about quitting and staying quit. That lasted some months until I had the last one at 7pm, April 25, 2014.

What did the process of quitting look like?

The first month, I felt I was nervous all the time and I could not concentrate on anything at all. I had some wild mood changes as well. But the benefits of quitting started as soon as 3 days after I put off my last cigarette.

What were the things that challenged you, while quitting?

The first thing I thought was that I would need to learn how to live again without tobacco since it had been attached to many situations for 10 years. I was afraid of not being able to handle it.

In what way did your life change after quitting?

I started to feel more alive and less stressed. My body started to ask for physical exercise. My self-esteem improved greatly. I started to enjoy a more satisfactory sexual life. I felt cleaner and healthier. My closest ones were really grateful I stopped damaging my health.

Were there any side effects caused by this process?

I would say there were barely any side effects. We all know food smells and taste better when you quit smoking, so… yes, my appetite increased. That made me gain some weight, but not much: 4 kilograms.

Who supported you in the process? What helped you?

My partner was the greatest support I had when I decided to quit. Family and friends were very supportive as well. Indeed, some time later, some of my friends decided to quit smoking too. Reading and discussing it was really helpful.

A lot of people don’t take that in mind, but how hard is it to quit smoking and what was the emotional cost you had to pay while doing it?

When you quit smoking, you have to think that you are making one of the best decisions in your life. Fear of failing and/or not being able to handle it can be very powerful; but if you believe in yourself, you will succeed. After all, why would it be bad for you to quit?

What would you advise people who would want to quit smoking?

My advice for someone who wants to quit smoking is to search for information on how to do it and, then, do it. It is important to know that any moment is fine to start. You do not have to choose a special day or wait until life feels better. There is no perfect moment; and people who have just quit and feel they had to choose a better moment, there is no such moment. Unless you decide to create it yourself: don’t wait to be happy, be happy from right now.

Looking back, what were the biggest harms the smoking did to you and your family?

The biggest harm was that tobacco had started to accelerate my aging: worse teeth than average, more gray hair, more wrinkles, and less energy. I could not handle physical exercise as much as I can do now. Plus that fear that sometimes would pop up and say when I lit a cigarette: will this one start the process of a fatal disease? That type of thinking is not healthy either.

What makes you happy?

Being alive makes me happy. I love life and I want to live a long healthy one.