Comments on: Victorian Jewry to connect with Gay and Lesbian Members http://www.jwire.com.au/news/victorian-jewry-to-connect-with-gay-and-lesbian-members/6144 Jewish Online News from Australia and New Zealand Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:26:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Michael Barnett http://www.jwire.com.au/news/victorian-jewry-to-connect-with-gay-and-lesbian-members/6144/comment-page-1#comment-626 Michael Barnett Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:46:53 +0000 http://www.jwire.com.au/?p=6144#comment-626 Whilst any effort to reduce discrimination against gay and lesbian Jews is commendable, the JCCV's exclusive reference group is going to fall short of addressing the most critical issues. In a (previous) confrontational meeting on December 3 2009 between the JCCV's John Searle & Anton Block (Immediate Past President) and ten GLBT Jews, Searle declared that "The Jewish religion has a particular stance on homosexuality", inferring the orthodox intolerance of homosexuality was the only valid Jewish perspective. In making this highly inflammatory supremacist statement Searle not only demonstrates his refusal to condemn intolerance of homosexuality but he also shows a blatant disregard for other legitimate Jewish perspectives on homosexuality, such as the Progressive community's overwhelmingly accepting view on the matter. With current Australian research showing same-sex attracted people experience a suicide rate of up to 14 times higher than the norm, particularly in religious communities, Searle has to stop pandering to the harmful orthodox view on homosexuality in order to be taken seriously. He is after all supposed to be representing the entire Victorian community. Michael Barnett. Co-ordinator, Aleph Melbourne. Whilst any effort to reduce discrimination against gay and lesbian Jews is commendable, the JCCV’s exclusive reference group is going to fall short of addressing the most critical issues.

In a (previous) confrontational meeting on December 3 2009 between the JCCV’s John Searle & Anton Block (Immediate Past President) and ten GLBT Jews, Searle declared that “The Jewish religion has a particular stance on homosexuality”, inferring the orthodox intolerance of homosexuality was the only valid Jewish perspective. In making this highly inflammatory supremacist statement Searle not only demonstrates his refusal to condemn intolerance of homosexuality but he also shows a blatant disregard for other legitimate Jewish perspectives on homosexuality, such as the Progressive community’s overwhelmingly accepting view on the matter.

With current Australian research showing same-sex attracted people experience a suicide rate of up to 14 times higher than the norm, particularly in religious communities, Searle has to stop pandering to the harmful orthodox view on homosexuality in order to be taken seriously. He is after all supposed to be representing the entire Victorian community.

Michael Barnett.
Co-ordinator,
Aleph Melbourne.

]]>