LGBTQIA+ people are leaving Orthodox Judaism behind. Why?
An increasing number of queer Jewish people are leaving Orthodoxy, pushing them toward more progressive denominations or away from religion entirely.
Words by Emma Paidra, Uncloseted Media
Design by Yosef Phelan
Shlomo Satt remembers first thinking he might be gay at 13 years old after seeing an article about same-sex marriage in the newspaper. Growing up in an Orthodox Jewish community on Long Island, New York, Satt immediately felt anxious about what this could mean for his future.
“I think that's when I started thinking ‘Oh, am I that? Am I gay?’” Satt, now 30, told Uncloseted Media and GAY TIMES.
As Satt came to realise he was gay, his anxiety skyrocketed. He was aware that only half of Orthodox Jews – and 20 per cent of ultra-Orthodox Jews – are accepting of homosexuality.
