This Friday evening marks the sixth year that San Francisco’s progressive reform Congregation Sha’ar Zahav has stepped into the role of Jewish community caretaker for the annual sacred event of transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR). More and more people, trans and non-trans, are raising their voices in commemoration each year. Read More »

Yasher Koach to chatanim (חתנים or grooms) Yoni Bock and Ron Kaplan! Standing in matching kittle’s (קיטלנים or traditionally white linen robes that Ashkenazim are known to be buried in after wearing it to their wedding as well as annually on Yom Read More »

My colleague in Washington D.C., who like me works to break down obstacles in our communities paths to living Jewishly, responds to the article, ”Bridging the gap between faith and sexuality” (WJW, Oct. 20) in the brilliantly written (and re-posted below) letter. Read More »

In the fall of 1998 the Office of Student Life at the University of Oregon received a notice in the mail about a student leadership conference aimed at empowering GLBT Jewish leaders. The Dean who received the memo called our local Jewish Student Union, LGBT Alliance and Hillel House to recruit someone to represent the [...]. Read More »

Related Posts Religious Voices Supporting Spirit Day (GLAAD.org) Facebook’s Going a Little Gay for Spirit Day (mashable.com) Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco, urging people to go purple (JewishFed.org) We’re Going Purple on October 20: You Should Too (bilerico.com) Put on Some Purple For Spirit Day (bellasugar. Read More »

                                                                                                              [...]. Read More »

Dr. Frank Kameny lived many of his 86-years as an out activist, leader and hero. It is with only a blessed form of irony that he left us today, on National Coming Out Day. May Frank’s memory be for a blessing. To understand our LGBT American history please get to know a bit more about [...]. Read More »

In California, we are fortunate that we have become the first state in the nation to require public schools to add lessons about our gay and trans history to social studies classes. Yet, this only happened after Governor Jerry Brown signed this landmark bill a few months ago created by LGBT Jewish leader Mark Leno (learn more). [...]. Read More »

Last fall, a young person named Brittany McMillan wanted to do something about the LGBT teens who died by suicide. So she put a call out via a social network for people to wear purple on October 20th in support of LGBT teens. She thought that only a few hundred at most would wear purple. She never [...]. Read More »

my new flatmate works in pr and marketing and already knows that i am a geek with social media stats. in his natural kindness he sent me this interesting list of the most popular LGBT websites and blogs. the list was compiled in june 2011 by a group called compete.com in partnership with a media database group [...]. Read More »

During these days between the Jewish New Year and Yom Kippur, Jews are told to reflect on what really matters to us. So here it goes, one thing that really matters to me is continually bringing the stories and realities of everyday LGBT Jewish leaders into the mainstream. Many LGBT folks don’t always have the big [...]. Read More »

we of course, all witnessed the seas of political activists empowered to change their worlds this past year. as we approach the jewish high holidays this evening, i stop for a moment to revisit some of the more local advances and news that i witnessed this past year. Read More »

Do you remember when a few Americans got involved in launching a political movement to eliminate homosexuality in Uganda? How about when The Rachel Maddow Show covered this anti-gay hysteria with the catchy title, “Uganda Be Kidding Me“? Do you remember learning about the murder of David Kato after a Ugandan media outlet published his name [...]. Read More »

Each time I walk by one of the many billboards across town proudly showcasing a rather butch-presenting 5′ tall Gertrude Stein, I have a little self-loving-pride moment. I have a feeling that I am not the only 5’3″ Jewish woman who finds the sight similarly validating. Read More »

After overhearing the music of Harel Skaat flooding through my office wall all afternoon my colleague in the office next door poked his head into my office to tell me, “his music is great…” I smiled and asked if he would join me at his concert in Palo Alto (details) but before he responded he [...]. Read More »

  I hope that you have been able to participate in this spectacular summer of Stein. If you have not yet seen the exhibitions at the Contemporary Jewish Museum and SFMOMA (San Francisco Museum of Modern Art) , no more excuses folks: you have got to get out and see how San Francisco is all about celebrating [...]. Read More »

Professional networking, going to tres-gay parties, chasing movies and cute movie goers at Frameline and San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, AIDS Walking and schmoozing have dominated my queer Jewish summer thus far but don’t worry – plenty more Read More »

This summer marks thirty years of the global HIV/AIDS epidemic and according to the SF Chronicle, more than 28,840 San Franciscans have been diagnosed with AIDS, and it has claimed the lives of more than 19,000 San Franciscans. Although our local community is strong and learning how to thrive and live within this epidemic we still need [...]. Read More »

i was 4-years-old when the cdc announced that hiv/aids was now a reality. this was in 1981. 30 years ago. in that time i have mourned lives lost and celebrated lives lived. many of these lives were once hushed about as they were qualified by the double-three-letter-acronym, hiv/aids. time has provided a shift in the [...]. Read More »

san francisco is the home of the third largest metropolitan jewish community in north america and within this number are approximately 36,000 lgbt queer self-identified jews. i get asked a lot about how to find “the” queer jewish community. meaning to many that are asking, “where is the community? you know, the one that distinctly pulses [...]. Read More »