Gay is OK!!!



"A gay Jewish couple"

Controversy and conflict.  These are the first two words that come to mind when you hear someone talking about Israel. However, there is one controversy that Israel has solved; and in fact it is a controversy that the United States and many other countries have yet to solve. What is this you might ask? The answer is: Gay Rights. Israel is considered to be an “international gay rights trendsetter” and has “approved some of the worlds most progressive gay rights legislations.”  (Rosenthal, 371)  Israeli’s have some of the most accepting outlooks in the world on gay and lesbian relationships. In fact more then fifteen thousand Israelis attended Israel’s first gay rights parade. Gay couples, heterosexual couples, and even families attended the parade to “show their support for the homosexual community’s right to live openly and freely.” (Rosenthal, 370)  Homosexuality was decriminalized in Israel in 1988.  A subcommittee on lesbian, gay and bisexual issues was established, sexual-orientation discrimination in the work place was outlawed and the Israel Defense Force passed an antidiscrimination policy. These plus many other laws that recognized same sex relationships were passed. It is clear to see that “attitudes of the Israeli public have progressed significantly in favor of greater acceptance and inclusion in society of homosexuals and lesbians.”  However even though there are many laws that help protect the rights of gays, lesbians and bisexuals some parts of “Israeli society [are] conservative when it comes to accepting them.”  Traditional Orthodox Judaism considers homosexuality to be an abomination. Nevertheless, some modern Orthodox rabbis are challenging this view. They are claiming that “sensitivity and understanding…for human beings with other sexual orientations does not diminish commitment” to the Torah. They urge the Jewish community to “embrace the adopted or biological children of homosexually active Jews, in the synagogue and school setting.”  There are also been dozens of groups and web sites organized to provide safe havens for both religious and non religious Jews who are exploring or confused with their sexual orientation.  Another aspect that makes Israel stand out in the world wide gay rights controversy is their antidiscrimination policy in the army. In fact the IDF has even showed soldiers films that feature homosexual characters! An example of one of these films is “called Yossi and Jagger, which is about two gay soldiers. “ (Rosenthal, 371)  The army “practices an inclusion policy” and many soldiers find the U.S policy of “‘don’t tell don’t ask’ ridiculous.”  The Israel Defense Force has “dozens of high-ranking gay officers” and any “question of whether they should serve in the military has never been an issue in Israel.” (Rosenthal, 371)  Even though there is no “civil marriage” available even for heterosexual couples, the Supreme Court and military have ruled that gay, lesbian, or bisexual partners are eligible for spousal or widower benefits.  Despite the acceptance and benefits that homosexuals have access to in Israel, many still hide their sexual orientation from their “conservative” families, whom often look at a family member coming out as “mourning for the dead”. (Rosenthal, 373)  Nevertheless Israel is a revolutionary example of how acceptance and tolerance of the gay community is possible.



"Gay Soldier"



 The sources that I used provided me with a lot of interesting and reliable information. The source that I found most interesting was the article on Refworld. It was published by the Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada! This article provided me with a lot of interesting information and gave direct accounts from gays and lesbians that live in Israel. However, I did not ever understand how this article related to Canadian Immigration. This remains an unclear and confusing aspect of this particular source.  The next source that I used was the Huffington Post this article provided me with an example of religious Jews who support the gay and lesbian community. It was very interesting to read about Rabbi’s urging acceptance of homosexuals in religious schools and synagogues. However, this source seemed to focus on Jews in the United States as well as Israel. The link to the website of support groups for Jewish homosexuals stunned me. It had dozens of links for Jewish homosexuals, ranging from Orthodox gay support groups to dating websites. The last source that I used was from aolnews. It was interesting to see how different the view of gay and lesbian soldiers in the Israeli Defense Force was. By reading how accepted the gay solider felt in the IDF it really showed how Israelis have learned to accept the gay and lesbian community.





"Gay parade in Tel-Aviv"