6 | JUNE 8 • 2023
essay
A Plea for Pride Month
W
ith Pride Month
upon us, I am
reflecting on
life as a Jewish trans lesbian
woman in 2023 America. I
came out in 2017 and started
transitioning
that year. I
also started
my conversion
to Judaism
journey in the
fall of 2020 and
completed my
conversion at
Congregation Shaarey Zedek
in Southfield last December.
Today, I am confronted
by an intersection of both
antisemitism and anti-LGBTQ
attitudes and laws. Last Nov.
20, the LGBTQ world was
shocked to its core when
a gunman entered a gay
nightclub in Colorado Springs,
Colorado, where he managed
to murder five patrons — four
of them trans people. Thanks
to the heroic efforts of two
individuals, the gunman was
subdued, and more people
were saved.
At this same time, hate
crimes against the trans
community and the Jewish
community are at an alarming
rise. On top of this, as of
this day, more than 300 anti-
LGBTQ legislative bills were
introduced throughout the
United States. Fortunately,
we are not seeing antisemitic
legislation being introduced,
and I pray that I never see the
day that this happens in the
U.S.
So, as Pride Month begins,
as a fellow American Jew, I
am pleading for the ears and
understanding of my extended
Jewish family. We need to
have an honest yet difficult
conversation.
A lot of times, I must
choose between my Jewish
identity and LGBTQ identity.
One of the tensions is the
embrace of anti-Zionism
in the LGBTQ community
amongst leftist queer folk
and feeling I need to be quiet
about my love for Israel. I have
a different perspective. I have
insight as someone who was
rejected and kicked out of an
evangelical church for being
queer before my conversion to
Judaism.
Unfortunately, many of us
are seeing the same voices on
the Christian Right — who
loudly support Israel and
claim to support the Jewish
people — who demonize
and use almost identical
language against LGBTQ folks
that antisemites have used
against the Jewish people for
thousands of years.
While there is no “LGBTQ
Protocols of the Elders of
Zion” being spread around,
we have our own version of
the blood libel. We are called
“groomers” and made to seem
like we are preying upon
children. For many of us,
Christian Nationalists are our
enemies. We did not choose
this, just as the Jewish people
did not choose their enemies.
However, we have people
in positions of power and
influence that wish we were
back in the closet, in jail or in
the grave just for being who
we are.
It is time for our Jewish
straight and cisgender allies
to speak up. Call out those
spewing this venom even if
they are “allies of Israel.” Is it
really worth having pro-Israel
allies who would not think
Sarah Dunn
PURELY COMMENTARY
continued on page 7
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