Jewish man liberated from Orthodoxy by letting out his inner Drag Queen

[Chop_Sugar_Cane_Dem]

I'm glad to see this being discussed, because while you hear about Christian homophobia a lot, you almost never hear about Jewish homophobia in the mainstream which is just as bad, or worse (American Christians won't literally stone you for being a drag queen or gay; Jewish Israelis will), and so it's good to see this brought to light that it's okay for Orthodox Jews to let out their inner Drag Queen :D

I can't post links, so here is an excerpt: the article is from Queerty, and it's titled "Gay Israeli Orthodox Jew Finds Acceptance as Unorthodox Drag Queen":


In the most secular corners of Israel — a country that although known for extreme Jewish and Muslim inhabitants is shockingly queer-friendly – small drag scenes are emerging and are being met not only with tolerance, but with enthusiasm.
Despite the fact that most Jewish grandmothers own outfits that any drag queen would kill for — seriously, our Grandmas’ fur collections would slay on the runway — the world of Abrahamic religiosity and the ballroom scene hardly ever overlap.
But then there’s Shahar Hadar. The 34-year-old Orthodox Jew sees drag as a mitzvah (good deed) because it brings joy. “She blesses, she loves everyone,” Hadar said of his drag alter ego Rebbetzin Malka Falsch. “Usually drag queens are gruff. I decided that I wanted to be happy, entertain people, perform mitzvoth.”

[Quail]

Link to the full article (http://www.queerty.com/gay-israeli-orthodox-jew-finds-acceptance-as-an-unorthodox-drag-queen-20130801/) :)

[Sasha]

thanx for posting this realy nice story, and yes, jewish-orthodox homophobia is very underreported but i do have to ask you what the source is for this claim:


(American Christians won't literally stone you for being a drag queen or gay; Jewish Israelis will),

while i dont doubt anti-gay hatecrime murders happend en will continue to happen in israel i fail to think of one single notable case while i regularly talk to queer israeli's and read often liberal and leftist israeli newspapers who would have no calms about reporting these cases, from the US i can think of dozens of cases though, this being the most famous one: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard

[bad ideas actualised by alcohol]

I have some doubts about American Christians not using violence against homosexuals or drag-queens. Maybe not stoning, but the opposition to these things come from a religious background. Violence against homoesxuals is quite high in the US. I don't think it matters all that much wether one trows a stone, shoots a gun or kicks a head. It is still homophobic violence. And it would be an outright lie to say such violence does not exist outside of Orthodox Judaism, or even not in the US.

[Art Vandelay]

Good for him. :)

[Goblin]

I´m very happy for him. Those abrahamics can be really harsh when it comes to this. He´s got some real guts.

[hatzel]

The thread title totally misses the point, and actually obscures the whole significance of the story: Shahar Hadar isn't 'liberated' from orthodoxy (whatever that means), and that's precisely what makes this newsworthy. All manner of people go from religious to non-religious (or 'liberate themselves from orthodoxy,' if you prefer), that's such an everyday occurrence that it's hardly even worth mentioning. The (I believe original, and certainly more complete) article on the AP (http://bigstory.ap.org/article/ap-photos-israeli-jew-devout-gay-drag-queen) explains why this is something wholly different:


But while Orthodox Judaism generally condemns homosexuality, there is a growing group of devout gay Jews in Israel unwilling to abandon their faith and demanding a place in the religious community.


Her philosophy, and Hadar's, draws from the teachings of the Breslov Hasidic stream of ultra-Orthodox Judaism: embrace life's vicissitudes with joy.


As a practicing Orthodox Jew, it hasn't been easy for Hadar to integrate into mainstream gay life. He used to tuck his shoulder-length religious side locks under a cap to fit in at bars.


Of all the students in his class, Hadar was the only one to show up wearing a yarmulke.

"I think it's fabulous," said Gil Naveh, a veteran Israeli drag queen and director of the school, as he painted Hadar's lips apple-red before his midnight debut at a Jerusalem gay bar. "He stays true to who he is."

As I said, Shahar isn't 'liberated' from orthodoxy, and I'm sure he would be quite offended at the suggestion that he is. Why? Because then he just becomes yet another guy who went 'off the derech,' and placed himself outside of orthodoxy by embracing his queer status, whilst in fact he is 'queering' the distinction between orthodoxy and homosexuality - precisely what is remarkable about this story. In fact Tablet hit the nail on the head, when it said:


Rather than separate his drag routine from his religious identity, Hadar weaves the two together in Rebbetzin Malka Falsche, an embodiment of Hadar’s own struggles

Claiming on the contrary that he is 'liberated' from othodoxy reestablishes the distinction between these two aspects of his identity, and as such constitutes a genuine act of violence against him, and actually rebukes Gil Naveh, in saying 'he doesn't stay try to who he is'...

[Bostana]

I feel like the media lacks in telling the persecution that the Jews inflict upon the LGBT people because of Israel.
But then again, I think I'm probably paranoid.

[Sasha]

You are, while it probably really sucks growing up gay in an orthodox Jewish family in a orthodox neighbourhood the minute amount of orthodox Jews just doesn't make it a worthwhile news story outside the circle of people directly touched by it, there are about as many orthodox Jews as there are Anabaptists, you feel mennonite homophobia or Amish homophobia is underreported too?
There is a massive amount that suck in israel but the position of gays is for a country so drenched witg religious sectarianism and (extreme) right wing politics actually pretty much on par with the major citys in the west, this is just far more the reality of being gay in Israel: http://www.google.nl/search?q=tel+aviv+gay&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=7eEIUqj4C8KAhQeIlIDQAw&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=369&bih=555&sei=8uEIUoK9L8bFtQaw8YDIBw

[The Feral Underclass]

this is just far more the reality of being gay in Israel: http://www.google.nl/search?q=tel+av...L8bFtQaw8YDIBw

Everyone is young, beautiful and happy?

I think this is a representation of being gay based on photographers' decisions to take pictures of a certain kind of gay person and is indicative of a cultural standard rather than anything else. I would be weary of using these pictures as an example of anything. Really, they are projections of being gay -- authored by people with an aesthetic agenda -- but do they actually represent the reality of being gay?

People who are going to photograph gay public events are going to photograph smiling, beautiful young people. I think it would be unwise to think that a collection of pictures like this is indicative of being gay. It is indicative of being gay if you are young, beautiful and happy, perhaps? What about all the other people? The young, beautiful unhappy people, for example...

[Sasha]

Oh absolutely, i know many queer israeli's who live here for several reasons, gay normativity being one of them, i just found it botsana's post rather typical of the left and this forum in particular, like there is some conspiracy to not report jewish homophobia to not rock the israel boat while the truth is that while, like everywhere, homphobia exist israel is a by comparison (!) to many countries rather gay freindly, not to excuse the very real homophobia there, i just rather be gay in tel aviv than gay in most of the major cities in the states... I mean, i wouldnt want to live in israel for a shit load of reasons, feeling unsafe being queer would not even make the list.