(18) And Adonai God said: ‘It is not good that the human should be alone; I will make him a help meet for him.’
(20) And thou shalt not lie carnally with thy neighbour’s wife, to defile thyself with her. (21) And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to set them apart to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am Adonai. (22) Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind; it is abomination. (23) And thou shalt not lie with any beast to defile thyself therewith; neither shall any woman stand before a beast, to lie down thereto; it is perversion.
"Homosexuality is no different from any other anti-social or anti-halakhic act, where it is legitimate to distinguish between the objective act itself, including its social and moral consequences, and the mentality and inner development of the person who perpetuates the act . . . To use halakhic terminology, the objective crime remains a ma'aseh avayrah (a forbidden act) whereas the person who transgresses is considered innocent on the grounds of ["oh-ness"] (force beyond one's control)." - Rabbi Norman Lamm, "Judaism and the Modern attitude toward Homosexuality," Encyclopedia Judaica Yearbook, 1974.
Promoting Equal Employment and Leadership Opportunities for Lesbians and Gay in the Reform Movement
(adopted 1995)
Background
Among our most sacred Jewish values is the fundamental principle that we are created in the image of the divine. All Jews, whatever their sexual orientation, are welcome in the Reform Movement.
Regardless of context, discrimination arising from apathy, insensitivity, ignorance, fear, or hatred is inconsistent with that principle and is morally wrong. Discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation is abhorrent.
The Union of American Hebrew Congregations is justly proud of its strong record in working to eliminate invidious discrimination in our society and is fiercely committed to continuing this effort. For example, in 1993 the UAHC resolved to oppose all anti-gay state ballot initiatives, and in certain circumstances boycott any community with such laws.
Within the Reform Movement, substantial progress has been made in demonst rating our commitment to equal opportunity regardless of sexual orientation. The UAHC has admitted and welcomed a number of congregations with a special outreach to lesbian, gay and bisexual Jews.
In 1987, the UAHC adopted a resolution that sexual orientation should not be a consideration for membership of, or participation in the activities of, any member congregation. This resolution urged its congregations and affiliates "to encourage lesbian and gay Jews to share and participate in the worship, leadership and general congregational life of all synagogues and to employ people without regard to sexual orientation."
In 1989, the UAHC reaffirmed its commitment to promoting full congregational membership opportunities for gay and lesbian Jews, as singles, couples, and families.
In 1990, the Central Conference of American Rabbis has affirmed that all graduates of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) will be admitted for membership regardless of sexual orientation.
In 1993, the UAHC called upon its congregations, the CCAR, and the HUC-JIR to extend the same benefits that are offered to the spouses of married staff members and employees to the partners of all staff members and employees living in committed lesbian and gay partnerships.
It is now appropriate to build upon this progress in support for our comm itment to equal opportunities to all Reform Jews, and to enhance our efforts to promote equal employment and leadership opportunities within the UAHC, its affiliates and its congregations.
THEREFORE, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations resolves:
- Not to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation in matters re lating to the employment of rabbis, cantors, educators, executives, admin istrators or other staff, or in matters relating to the appointment of lay leaders and to call upon all affiliates and member congregations to follow the same policy;
- To call upon all placement arms of the Reform movement to assist con gregations in implementing this policy of non-discrimination;
- To call upon all organizations affiliated with the Reform movement to adopt written policies of non-discrimination; and
- To commend the use of Kulanu -- A Program to Include Lesbian and Gay Jews in Our Temples, a manual being published by the Task Force on Lesbian and Gay Inclusion, in conducting educational and other programs for the purpose of implementing this and previous related resolutions.
"Whereas justice and human dignity are cherished Jewish values, and whereas, the institutions of Reform Judaism have a long history of support for civil and equal rights for gays and lesbians, and whereas, North American organizations of the Reform Movement have passed resolutions in support of civil marriage for gays and lesbians, therefore we do hereby resolve, that the relationship of a Jewish, same-gendered couple is worthy of affirmation through appropriate Jewish ritual . . ." - Ad Hoc Committee on Human Sexuality, CCAR, 1998.
"I, for one, cannot believe that the G-d who created us all produced a certain percentage of is to have sexual drives that cannot be legally expressed under any circumstances. That is simply mind-boggling -- and, frankly, un-Jewish . . . Furthermore, it seems to me that to ask gays and lesbians to remain celibate all their lives is not halakhically required. If gays and lesbians are right in asserting that they have no choice in being homosexual . . . then they are as forced to be gay as straights are forced to be straight . . . " - Rabbi Elliot Dorff, Matters of Life and Death, p. 145.
דא"ר הונא נשים המסוללות זו בזו פסולות לכהונה
Rav Huna said: Women who rub against one another motivated by sexual desire are unfit to marry into the priesthood, as such conduct renders a woman a zona, whom a priest is prohibited from marrying.
ת"ש גדול כבוד הבריות שדוחה [את] לא תעשה שבתורה
Come and learn: So great is human dignity that it supersedes a negative commandment of the Torah.
(1) And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul. (2) And Saul took him that day, and would let him go no more home to his father’s house. (3) Then Jonathan made a covenant with David, because he loved him as his own soul. (4) And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his apparel, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.
"To be a self-accepting gay or lesbian person, one generally must go through a certain process of negation and affirmation. In homophobic societies, one is told that how one loves is wrong. Yet, at some point, to live a full life, one must learn for oneself that these statements are wrong and that love is right. This inversion teaches, in an experiential way, the primacy of love. It forms a unique mode of moral conscience, and teaches in a distinctive way what it is to love G-d b'chol levavcha, b'chol nafshecha, uv'chol meodecha, with all your heart, body, mind, and spirit. And it engenders the queer mysticism we read in Rumi, Hafiz, and Judah HaLevy . . . " - Jay Michaelson, The Passionate Torah: Sex and Judaism, 2009, p. 218.
Breishit Rabbah 8:1
"And G-d said: let us make man, etc. . . . R. Jeremiah b Leazar said: When the Holy One, blessed be He, created Adam, He created him an hermaphrodite, for it is said, Male and female created He them and called their name Adam (Gen. 5:2). R. Samuel b. Nahman said: When the L-rd created Adam He created him double-faced, then He split him and made him of two backs, one back on this side and one back on the other side."
"The midrash, classical Jewish exegesis, adds that the [first human] being formed in G-d's likeness, was an androgynous, an inter-sexed, person . . . Hence, our tradition teaches that all bodies and genders are created in G-d's image, whether we identify as men, women, inter-sex, or something else." - Rabbi Elliot Kukla, "Reform Devises Sex-Change Blessings", 2007.
“The Reform Movement has been an advocate of gay and lesbian rights since 1965, when the Women of Reform Judaism (WRJ) passed a resolution calling for the decriminalization of homosexuality. In 1977, the then UAHC (Now URJ) and the CCAR passed their first resolutions dealing with this issue, calling for human rights for homosexuals. Since then, the URJ , CCAR, WRJ, CSA, RAC and NFTY have passed resolutions dealing with issues specific to Reform Judaism, such as inclusion of gays and lesbians in the rabbinate and cantorate, as well as national issues, such as support for civil marriage, elimination of discrimination within the Armed Forces and the Boy Scouts, and support for explicit workplace non-discrimination and civil rights legislation. Gay, lesbian, and bisexual and Transgender outreach and inclusion has been of great importance to the Reform Movement. The UAHC admitted its first special outreach congregation to gays and lesbians in 1973. In the year 2000 the CCAR issued a resolution of support on officiating at same gender marriage and created materials for rabbis. The URJ and CCAR and the RAC filed amici briefs for marriage equality in the Supreme Court and most recently has lobbied Congress on including sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes in legislation at the federal level for protecting jobs and housing. The RAC currently is doing major work on protecting trangender rights in the military. And Reform congregations have gathered together in states to fight statewide anti-LGBTQ legislation”
Rabbi Denise L. Eger, "A Short History of LGBTQ Rights in Reform Judaism"
URJ Resolution on the Rights of Transgender and Non-Confroming People (adopted 2015)
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Union for Reform Judaism:
- Affirms its commitment to the full equality, inclusion and acceptance of people of all gender identities and gender expressions;
- Affirms the right of transgender and gender non-conforming individuals to be referred to by their name, gender, and pronoun of preference in our congregations, camps, schools, and other Reform affiliated organizations;
- Encourages Reform congregations, congregants, clergy, camps, institutions and affiliates, including NFTY, to continue to advocate for the rights of people of all gender identities and gender expressions;
- Urges the adoption and implementation of legislation and policies that prevent discrimination based on gender identity and expression, and that require individuals to be treated equally under the law as the gender by which they identify. This includes establishing the right to change without undue burden their identification documents to reflect their gender and name and ensuring equal access to medical and social services;
- Calls on the U.S. and Canadian governments at all levels to review and revise all laws and policies to ensure full equality and protections for people of all gender identities and expressions;
- Urges Reform Movement institutions to begin or continue to work with local and national Jewish transgender, lesbian, gay and bisexual organizations to create inclusive and welcoming communities for people of all gender identities and expressions and to spread awareness and increase knowledge of issues related to gender identity and expression. These activities may include cultural competency trainings for religious school staff, the new congregational resource guide on transgender inclusion being created by the Religious Action Center, education programs on gender identity and expression, and sermons on the topic of gender identity and gender expression;
- Recommends URJ congregations and Reform Movement institutions, facilities and events ensure, to the extent feasible, the availability of gender-neutral restrooms and other physical site needs that ensure dignity and safety for transgender and gender non-conforming individuals;
- Urges Reform Movement institutions to review their use of language in prayers, forms and policies in an effort to ensure people of all gender identities and gender expressions are welcomed, included, accepted and respected. This includes developing statements of inclusion and/or non-discrimination policies pertaining to gender identity and gender expression, the use when feasible of gender-neutral language, and offering more than two gender options or eliminating the need to select a gender on forms; and
- Will work in collaboration with other Reform Movement institutions to create ritual, programmatic and educational materials that will empower such institutions to be more inclusive and welcoming of people of all gender identities and expressions.