Homosexuality

Gay parade bans anti-Israel banners

June 17, 2010

Toronto's annual Gay Pride parade, considered a major event on Canada's cultural calendar, is threatening to devolve into confrontation - and not between gay and straight people.

Event organisers, responding to complaints from Jewish organisations, among others, have forbidden the activist group Queers Against Israeli Apartheid (QAIA) from marching in the parade under that name.

More accurately, Pride Toronto is "disallowing" use of the phrase "Israeli Apartheid" in the 2010 parade.

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Former Czech minister's Jewish slur

April 8, 2010

The former Czech prime minister has resigned as chair of the Civic Democratic Party after making derogatory comments about Jews and gays.

During an informal conversation with the staff of the gay magazine Lui, Mirek Topolanek said that Transport Minister Gustav Slamecka is a homosexual who "gives in when he faces a serious problem".

Jewish Prime Minister Jan Fischer, he said is "simply a Jew; he's not gay and he gives in even sooner".

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Time for gay shul weddings

By Rabbi David Mitchell and Rabbi Judith Levitt, March 4, 2010

As part of the newest generation of lesbian and gay rabbis, we are delighted to learn after a successful debate in the House of Lords, Civil Partnerships can now take place within religious institutions.

Inevitably, this change in legislation will be most applicable to those synagogues, rabbis and movements who have already enabled same-sex couples to affirm their commitments to one another within a Jewish context. For example, in Liberal Judaism, the same-sex B'rit Ahavah (Covenant of Love) pre-dated the UK Civil Partnership Act.

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Faith schools must teach sex and contraception

By Simon Rocker, February 25, 2010

State-aided religious schools will have to teach about contraception and ceremonies for gay couples in future, according to new rules being introduced by the government.

Ed Balls, the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, stressed that faith schools would not be able to opt out of new requirements for sex education, due to come into force next year.

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Liberal Judaism to lobby Lords over gay marriage

By Jessica Elgot, February 23, 2010

Gay Jewish couples could soon be allowed to marry in synagogue after religious groups including Liberal Judaism and several Anglican bishops have lent their support to a relaxation of a ban.

An amendment to the Equality Bill is expected to be debated in the Lords next month to pave the way for the registration of civil ceremonies for gay couples in churches, synagogues and other religious premises.

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Baroness Neuberger: Allow gay marriage in synagogue

By Simon Rocker, January 28, 2010

Baroness Neuberger, president of Liberal Judaism, this week called for a change in the law to allow civil partnership ceremonies for same-sex couples to be held in synagogue.

The ceremonies, introduced by the government four years ago, cannot take place in a house of worship or use religious language as they are considered the equivalent to civil marriage.

In a Lords debate on the Equality Bill on Monday, Baroness Neuberger said that she had been told by couples that they and their parents would have been “overjoyed” if they had been able to have the ceremony in a synagogue.

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Gay debate rocks Orthodox university

By Paul Berger, January 7, 2010

A debate at a leading Jewish university about the status of gay people in the Orthodox community has unleashed a fierce backlash.

The panel discussion at New York’s Yeshiva University, titled “Being Gay in the Modern Orthodox World”, attracted about 800 people. Dozens were turned away because the hall was at capacity.

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Rabbis join gay marriage debate in US

By Paul Berger, December 10, 2009

Rabbis and Jewish politicians have waded into America’s debate on gay marriage, wielding Judaism in their arguments for and against same-sex unions.

In Lakewood, New Jersey, home to a strictly Orthodox community of about 10,000 families, Jewish leaders committed the hitherto unthinkable act of discussing their opposition to gay marriage with a secular journalist.

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Israeli rabbis back gay parenting

By Anshel Pfeffer, August 20, 2009

A revolutionary halachic ruling that will allow religious homosexual men to marry women and have children with them is currently being discussed at one of the most prestigious Orthodox institutes in Israel.

Rabbi Menachem Burstein is founder and head of the PUAH Institute, recognised in Orthodox circles as the leading organisation on matters of fertility and Jewish law. He confirmed this week that he has “been dealing with this subject for quite some time”.

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Sydney shul hosts first gay 'marriage'

By Dan Goldberg, September 26, 2008

In an Australian first, a same-sex commitment ceremony was held in a synagogue on Sunday.

Scott Whitmont, 47, and Christopher Whitmont-Stein, 38, stood under a chuppah at Emanuel Synagogue in Sydney in front of about 75 guests.

The pair, who had a civil-commitment ceremony six years ago, exchanged rings, smashed a glass and walked around each other three-and-a-half times.

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