Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Haters


I started my blog the same year that a little TV show called “Glee” came on to the scene. For many years I’ve been watching, enjoying, singing along. Despite some convoluted storylines and characters, I really do enjoy my time each Tuesday night at 8. I realized that Glee provides a strong basis for what I’d like to write about.

Glee has never shied away form any controversy. Kurt came out as openly gay in season one, after first “experimenting” with one of the female characters. Last season, he was bullied and tormented until he left the school, and it was revealed that his primary oppressor was secretly gay. Many people took issue with this, just because someone bullies gay people doesn’t mean they’re gay themselves! While that’s true, there is no denying that many people who strongly and publicly advocate against homosexuals end up being involved in homosexual scandals. But, not everyone who is anti-gay is gay themselves.

This comes back to the idea of “haters” and people disagreeing with things I say. I don’t have a problem with people disagreeing with my blog. I also don’t have a problem with people presenting their opinions in the comments. However, I do have a problem with people who comment, 2 and a half years into a blog about Judaism, sexuality, and the many struggles that people have gone through, “Could I say I am an orthodox jew if I eat pork. Being Gay is not Kosher.” That is not a comment that is worth a response, this is not a comment that is worth addressing. If you’re saying this, you are not a freethinking individual; you are not someone who has ever thought about the issue in depth; you have never internalized anything I have ever wrote. So you, I call a hater.

Similarly, the individual taking gay Jewish community leaders and creating false email accounts with their names and the names of God, to spread messages like “I sympathize with the person who has homosexual urges like I sympathize with the person who has desires for underage children,” or curing gays with chemical castration, or calling gay people derogatory names and secretly mailing these messages to minors; you, I call a hater. I do not respond to this person, I do not attempt to reason with them, because people like this cannot be reasoned with.  It has taken me a long time to come to this understanding, but I finally understand that these people are not to be addressed. The existence of gay people does absolutely nothing to harm this country, so leave us alone and give us the rights of every other citizen. 

There's more to come- on gay rights and on Glee. Stay tuned.

11 comments:

  1. Thank you Ely. Very well said. I have been a victim of this email spammer as well. I think the two pieces of your post go very well together and I wouldn't be very surprised if the spammer is a Karofsky in hiding.

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  2. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-big-questions/201106/homophobic-men-most-aroused-gay-male-porn :D

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  3. If a person says that someone who violates sins knowingly, intentionally and without feelings of guilt- whether that's eating pork, violating Shabbos, stealing, or two males having a romantic relationship with each other (with or without sex)- cannot call himself religious and frum, is that person a hater? If so, why? Why is this "closed minded hatred"? Why isn't this a valid opinion?

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    1. let me add- violates sins knowingly, intentionally, without feelings of guilt, and without a plan or desire to change

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    2. Anonymous, what if you speak loshon hora (up to 31 mitzvos violated) or talk and text during davening? Is that person not frum? Where do you draw the line?

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    3. That's a question for everyone who has an objective definition for a frum Jew. Though, I think most would agree that someone who violates Shabbos or kashrus with ease probably wouldn't be considered a frum Jew. Whether this would apply to loshon hara, I don't know (and truthfully, I don't know why it should be different, but psychologically for some reason it just is). My point is, is that some people would say violating issurim with regard to homosexuality (relations or even romantic activity), would be more similar to violating Shabbos and kashrus in terms of defining who a frum Jew is. My point is not to find out whether you agree or disagree. My question is, is such a person a hater? If so, why is this not a valid opinion?

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    4. Oh Glee. It was once a good show, wasn't it? I have good memories of that thing.

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  4. Do you think Mr. Cathy of Chik-Fil-A is a hater? Do you agree with boycotting the store because Mr. Cathy believes in the Biblical definition of marriage? Do you agree with the mayor of Chicago and the mayor of Boston who will try to stop Chik-Fil-A from opening more stores in their cities because they disagree with Mr. Cathy?

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  5. y u no post anymore?

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  6. One comment about Glee and Judaism. I wish the show was more authentic about American Jews. There are three Jewish characters on Glee(maybe 4 if you count the wheel chair guy),Rachel,Puck and Tina Chang Cohen. None exhibit any Jewish pride at all.All sing Xmas carols,all date non Jews, all put up with anti Semitic stereotypes like the the minor character Ben-Israel, the hook nosed ,ultra nerdy school gossip/reporter(another Jewish character!) and Santana's anti Jewish taunts against Rachel's nose and clothes.

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It Gets Better- Gay Orthodox Jews