GLBT striving to become an inclusive part of the Jewish community

By Margie Weil

In 2006 a community member came to Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis hoping for a Jewish presence at the annual Twin Cities GLBT (gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender) Pride Festival.

Two meetings and a flurry of e-mails later, 26 additional organizations and synagogues in the Twin Cities Jewish community had agreed to host a booth at the Festival. Volunteers at the booth experienced the joy of Jewish festival goers. One man with a broad smile on his face, just beamed and said, “I can’t believe you’re here.”  

Following the Festival, JFCS again called a meeting to discuss GLBT programming in the Jewish community. Professional and lay people came together to talk about future programs.

So many people had worked in the past to ensure recognition and inclusion of GLBT community members, but it was clear to this group that more had to be done. For many GLBT people it remains difficult to connect to the Jewish community. This group hopes that is about to change.

In recent years GLBT programs have been offered throughout the community, but there is no central programming for the group. There is an enthusiasm about this work that produced an event this year called Esther’s Coming Out Party, a Purim party that celebrated being GLBT and Jewish. It seemed like a perfect connection.

Purim can really be considered a coming out party. Esther has to hide who she is from everyone. In the end she has to “come out” as a Jew to save her people. The party proved to be a success and the group hopes to celebrate again next year.

In order to determine the needs of the Jewish GLBT community, the group is developing a survey that will provide information for future education and awareness programs.

Recently they collaborated with the Sabes Foundation Minneapolis Jewish Film Festival to sponsor the film Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School. It was followed by a panel discussion on the issues and problems GLBT students face in discovering their true identity.
The group who has been doing all this planning has also decided they need a name. They recently gathered to hear ideas and to pick a moniker. They hope to reveal the new name in the near future

There will be a Jewish booth again this year at the Pride Festival from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 24 at Loring Park. More organizations have joined to be part of the collaboration. We look forward to seeing smiles of welcome again and we hope that those who were so surprised to see us last year become accustomed to seeing ongoing support.

And, it is hoped that Jewish GLBT community members come to know they are part of a welcoming and inclusive community.

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Margie Weil is Community Services Director at Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis.