Tonight at Kol Ami we will celebrate Gay Pride Shabbat! This weekend in Los Angeles is GLBT Pride Weekend. There have been a flurry of great events sponsored by Christopher Street West our LA area Pride organization. Two mayor’s receptions -one for West Hollywood which is ground zero for the Parade and festival and one at the Getty House-hosted by LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. There was a wonderful morning at LA City Hall in the Council Chambers for the recognition of many LGBT citizens for their work and the declaration of Pride Heritage month. And a wonderful brunch honoring CSW’s honorees for the parade: This year some honorees include: comedienne Margret Cho and Deputy LA Mayor Suzy Jack!
I have had the honor in previous years of having my activism recognized by CSW and honored with the Morris Kight Lifetime Achievement Award.
Gay Lesbian and Bisexual Pride Shabbat is an opportunity to celebrate the inclusion and diversity of Jewish Life. GLBT Shabbat helps us put the celebration of this weekend in a spiritual context. And that is to celebrate our humanity and dignity and that we were created in the image of God. GLBT Pride Shabbat helps articulate the idea that wherever people are oppressed the Jewish ideal is to help! As our Torah teaches: For you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
So tonight we will celebrate gay lesbian , bisexual and transgender people and their contributions. We will lift up those who have been oppressed and hope that our music, prayer and thanksgiving will help further open the doors of the closet. We hope that the safe and holy space we create together on Shabbat will illuminate dark corners of self-doubt, self-hatred and remove any vesitage of our own homophobia and that of others!
So happy Gay Pride Shabbat. Join us at 8 pm at Kol Ami Tonight!
Enjoy a bright Shabbat. May there be no need for these in a gender-blind and orientation-blind future
Comments are closed.