The French Jewish LGBT organization Beit Haverim (founded in 1977) is actively
campaigning for the adoption of the law on marriage for all. We signed the call
for the demonstration of December 16, 2012, and we also participate in the march
held January 27, 2013. As far as LGBT politics are concerned, our position is
the same as that of the “Inter-LGBT” (France), and we are active members. We
want full equality of rights. People sometimes think that since we belong to our
organization, we are Jews above all, and don’t see ourselves as mere citizens.
They also imagine that "Jews" necessarily mean "religious" and "religious" must
mean "closed-minded". But we are LGBT activists.
Regarding the Jewish aspect, it actually involves
multiple identities: Jewish cultures differ based on education and background,
religious and philosophical beliefs can be radically different. The definition
of the Jewish identity can not completely deny the religious heritage, but the
secular Jewish identity does exist. This includes the languages of the Jewish
people, its history, its literature, its music and artistic creations. On the
religious level, it is not a monolithic identity either, because of the great
diversity of currents within Judaism. Our organization can not speak on behalf
of all Jews homosexuals may not be affiliated with any synagogue in particular,
and does not tell the Jewish community what to do or think. The Jewish
community, in addition to this, is as complex as we are.
We aim to be a beacon, and to advance the visibility
of LGBT Jewish people. Our mission is to celebrate humanistic values. We also
intended to express ourselves with our own specificity within the LGBT
community, which must also be as mixed as possible. LGBT people come from all
walks of life. Jews are about 1% of the total French population. French Jewry is
the most important Jewish population in Western Europe today. We claim a
tradition that is both pragmatic and intellectually demanding. We are proud of
our humanistic philosophical heritage. We are committed to a rich culture, and
we encourage all supporters of LGBT rights within the Jewish community to
continue their work. With regard to religion, we encourage all streams of
Judaism to continue to revise their thinking and perspective. Judaism is a
living tradition that requires a constant questioning. We affirm the idea that
homosexuality poses no ethical problem, and in the past decades, many Jews have
shared this view. We disclaim the cliché of a conflict between the Jewish
identity of a woman or a man with his identity and sexual orientation.
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