Can individuals identify as both gay and Jewish?

The origins of Judaism's established viewpoint concerning homosexuality and related queer matters are extensively recognized. Specifically, two passages found in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 18:23 and Leviticus 20:13) articulate an unambiguous denunciation of sexual activity between males; however, it remains undefined whether this pertains exclusively to coitus or encompasses all forms of physical intimacy between men. According to Leviticus 20:13, it is proscribed that should a male lie with another male in the manner of lying with a female, both would have committed a detestable act; they are to be certainly put to death, and their accountability for this rests solely upon them.

READ: Putting The Prohibition Against Homosexuality in Context

From its specific wording, the scriptural interdiction does not encompass homosexual practices among women, notwithstanding that subsequent interpreters expressed strong disapproval of lesbianism. A particular rabbinical authority links female same-sex relations to the customs and practices of the ancient Egyptians and Canaanites, from which Jewish people are commanded to refrain. Additional scholarly sources characterize lesbian sexual acts as immodest or unrestrained, yet they do not classify these as transgressions warranting the death penalty. Furthermore, the passages in Leviticus suggest that it is the specific conduct of homosexual intercourse, rather than the individual practicing homosexuality, which is regarded with revulsion.

Considerable scrutiny has been directed towards the term "abomination," which in Hebrew is rendered as to'evah. Although this specific nomenclature may appear harsh, it is noteworthy that identical phrasing is employed in Deuteronomy 14:3 when addressing prohibited animals. Numerous conventional interpretations mitigate the severity associated with "abomination" by positing the absence of reproductive capacity as the underlying rationale for deeming the homosexual act detestable. Of particular interest, the medieval work known as Sefer HaHinuch draws a parallel between homosexual intimacy and the act of marrying a woman who is unable to conceive.

Despite this, the conventional Jewish stance concerning homosexuality presents a challenge for numerous progressively inclined Jewish individuals; consequently, the more liberal branches of Judaism have extensively discussed the degree to which gay men and lesbians might achieve complete inclusion within their faith communities.

READ: Conservative Halakhah and Homosexuality

The initial and least contentious measure adopted by the Conservative, Reconstructionist, and Reform branches of Judaism involved lending their support to the cause of civil parity for gay men and lesbians. The CCAR, which functions as the rabbinical governing body of the Reform movement, assumed a pioneering and vigorous position in advocating for the rights of homosexual individuals. During the year 1977, this body formulated a declaration urging the removal of criminal penalties for homosexual acts and the cessation of all forms of prejudice stemming from one's sexual inclination.

A pertinent question arises: how is it possible to circumvent what appears to be an unequivocally stated scriptural injunction against homosexual behavior?

A significant number of individuals advocating for the complete religious entitlements of gay and lesbian persons utilize scholarly findings that highlight the non-volitional aspect of homosexuality. The term ahnoos, which originates from halakhic (Jewish legal) discourse, designates an individual who, despite being obligated to perform a certain action, fundamentally lacks genuine volition concerning the matter. Within Jewish tradition, an individual incurs accountability for spiritual duties solely when those duties can be freely and willingly embraced. Consequently, certain Jewish scholars and legal experts have contended that, given homosexuality is not a matter of personal selection, its manifestation or expression ought not to be prohibited.

In fact, the Reform movement refrains from condemning homosexual relations, and individuals who are openly gay qualify for admission into its rabbinical academies. Furthermore, this movement sanctions the participation of rabbis in presiding over same-sex marital unions and associated commitment rituals.

READ: Denominational Approaches on Ordaining Openly Gay and Lesbian Rabbis

Daniel Siegel, who serves as the Rabbinic Director for ALEPH: Alliance for Jewish Renewal, has explicitly supported same-sex matrimony, driven by his conviction that sacredness should not be exclusively confined to particular individuals or specific types of partnerships. Likewise, within the tenets of Reconstructionist Judaism, the concept of marriage between individuals of the same sex is regarded as a sacred principle. Commencing from this fundamental premise, Rebecca Alpert, a rabbi affiliated with the Reconstructionist movement, has asserted that the government's unwillingness to acknowledge same-sex unions constitutes an infringement upon fundamental religious freedoms.

Within the Conservative movement, certain rabbinical figures additionally invoke the principle of ones (referring to a situation where an individual lacks genuine discretion) as a basis for allowing homosexual relations. In December of 2006, the Law Committee of the Conservative Movement cast votes to embrace two divergent teshuvot (legal responsa or stances) concerning homosexuality within halakhah (Jewish law)—one upholding the existing norm, and the other endorsing an alteration. The outcome of this ballot signifies that rabbis, synagogues, and various other Conservative-affiliated bodies are now at liberty to either persist in their policy of disallowing commitment ceremonies and abstaining from employing openly gay or lesbian rabbis and cantors, or conversely, to opt for their allowance. Each of these approaches is recognized as legitimate. Furthermore, this resolution established a pathway for the movement to proceed with the ordination of rabbis who identify as openly gay.

Over the course of recent times, a heightened recognition has emerged regarding the presence of gay men and lesbians within more conventionally oriented Jewish communal settings. A multitude of organizations and communal support networks are currently available for Jewish individuals who are gay and wish to uphold a conventional Jewish way of life. Steven Greenberg, an openly gay Jewish educator who received ordination as an Orthodox rabbi, actively engages in authorship and delivers talks on the prospective roles for gay and lesbian individuals within the Orthodox religious sphere. Lastly, the documentary film Trembling Before G-d, a 2009 production that garnered critical acclaim and explores the lives of gay Orthodox Jews, has exerted a profound influence in elevating awareness concerning homosexuality within the Orthodox segment of the Jewish faith.

Matters Pertaining to Transgender Identity

A further significant advancement observed during the second ten-year period of the twenty-first century involves an increasing embracing of and advocacy for transgender individuals—namely, those whose gender identity differs from the one assigned at birth. The growing recognition of the transgender community within Jewish circles has mirrored broader societal conversations occurring in American mainstream culture, notably catalyzed by the widely publicized gender transition of renowned athlete Bruce (now Caitlyn) Jenner and the acclaimed Amazon television series Transparent, which depicts a Jewish household where the patriarch undergoes a transition to a female identity.

READ: How ‘Transparent' Is Reshaping Views of Transgender Jews

READ: Jewish Transgender Man Gives Birth and Embraces Life as Single ‘Abba'

In the year 2015, the Reform movement formally released a declaration articulating its endorsement of transgender rights, with the Conservative movement subsequently publishing a comparable statement several months thereafter. Moreover, numerous Jewish organizations—among them, summer camps—have initiated measures to facilitate the inclusion and acceptance of transgender individuals of Jewish faith.

According to an April 2016 dispatch from JTA, it was observed that, 'even in the Orthodox world, which presents the most barriers to transgender acceptance, both culturally and in Jewish law, some community figures are talking about the need to find a place for trans Jews.'

To read this article, 'Jewish Views on Homosexuality,' in Spanish (leer en Español), click here.