At the end of December popular Israeli LGBTQ magazine WDG asked the local community to summarize the biggest stories of 2017. Over 1,800 readers responded and over all, said that 2017 was a good year for the LGBTQ community in Israel. 62% of the respondents said that 2017 was good and 38% said it’s good […]
Shirel, a transgender man, speaks about struggling with his gender identity in a religious household. “Even in the summer I would wear a hoodie to hide my breasts and I would never go to the beach.” He unexpectedly found the freedom to be who he is in an LGBTQ group on an orthodox religious university […]
Why was this past Yom Kippur different from any other Kippur? For transgender Israeli man, Israel Raphel Avraham, who started taking hormones six months ago, it was a dream come true to finally sit in the men’s section in his local orthodox synagogue. Last night was the most incredible night of my life with the […]
CNN brings the story of Micha Yehudi, a transgender religious man who serves in the Israeli amy and marched on Thursday at the Jerusalem Pride parade Two years ago, Micha Yehudi hit rock bottom. The 25-year-old Israeli soldier was working 18-hour days and couldn’t sleep at night. Instead he watched videos of women going through […]
“We do not rule the world. We do not eat babies. We do not sacrifice virgins. We do not run the media. We are real, live human beings:” Ariel Lipson, a 20-year-old queer trans man from Seattle has been experiencing anti-semitism since entering high school After the Chicago Dyke March fiasco, where three Jewish lesbians carrying a […]
The Attorney General has forbidden the Ministry of Interior to change the sex of a transgender man who gave birth, back to female on ID cards, despite the Interior Ministry’s objection claiming that only a woman can give birth. The Ministry of the Interior has no authority to change the registration of a person’s gender, […]
Following a tour of talks across the United States, Capt. Shachar Erez, an FTM transgender soldier, shares his experience in an op-ed, encouraging other governments and militaries still struggling with the issue of transgenderism to look to Israel for guidance. Last week, four years after I graduated from the Israel Defense Forces officer course, I […]
Following rumors and stories in Israeli gossip columns, transgender reality star Mikey Alroy confirms his relationship with girlfriend Daniela – in his efforts to prove to closeted transgender people that a relationship for transgender people is possible. In a “coming out” interview the two talk about the acceptance of Daniela’s family and getting over high […]
Lt. Shachar became the first enlisted Israeli solider to medically transition from female to male. Because Israeli law requires health insurance to cover transgender medical needs, his military insurance covered the costs of his hormone therapy and surgeries. When Israel’s first out transgender soldier was making plans to enlist in the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) […]
The lesbian, gay, bi, and trans-rights charity Stonewall has enlisted faith role models to tackle the idea that religion and sexuality are mutually exclusive. Transgender activist Surat-Shaan Knan represents Judaism: “The biggest misconception [about Judaism] is that faith and LGBT identities are at odds with each other.” Surat Shaan-Knan Organized religion and sexuality haven’t always […]