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  • Essay / Transgender Rights in Judaism

    During this decade, more and more people identified as transgender, which led to changes in all aspects of life. Debates are being held by the government, trans activists and individuals on gender-neutral terminology, gender-neutral pronouns and public education on these issues. Judaism has also started debates, in order to be able to best address this issue and provide for the needs of the community. Say no to plagiarism. Get a custom essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay The conservative and reform movements have been most supportive of trans rights, ranging from acceptance of transgender people to public advocacy of their rights. What is truly astonishing is that more and more Orthodox movements are starting to talk about the placement of trans Jews in Orthodox society. The three main branches of Judaism fall under Orthodoxy, Conservatism, and Reformism, with each branch having different ways of approaching and defending their views on transgender people. Reform Judaism has accepted and supports the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people. Since the end of 2015, Reform Judaism has been “the largest religious denomination to welcome transgender people” thanks to the adoption by the Union of Reform Judaism “of a resolution affirming the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people” . The resolution passed with a majority in favor, and that's no surprise. One of the main tenets of Reform Judaism is “having a long-standing commitment to integrating people who have been on the margins of society,” according to Rabbi Rick Jacobs. president of the Union of Reform Judaism. The URJ in no way approaches this subject from a halakhic but rather a cultural perspective. No religious reasons are given for trans rights or synagogue participation because URJ is more about cultural tolerance. URJ believes in an inclusive and tolerant religious experience, most advocates and members of Reform Judaism protest discrimination and advocate for transgender rights in their cities and by proxy countries. Conservative Judaism has always been a happy medium between the extreme and the lenient side of Judaism, with the extreme being Orthodox and the lenient being Reform. Recently, the conservative movement also agreed to a resolution affirming the rights of transgender and gender non-conforming people. The Conservative Rabbinical Assembly called on every institution, including synagogues and any institution affiliated with the Conservative movement, to ensure that facilities meet the needs of transgender people. as well as having the polite etiquette of using said person's correct pronouns. In the text of the resolution itself, some of the reasons given to explain why the resolution is adopted are quite interesting. The resolution begins with the Torah's assertion that "all humanity is created b'tzelem Elohim (in the divine image of G-d)", and goes on to state "rabbinic tradition strongly emphasizes the importance of kvod habriyot (human dignity).” This implies that disrespecting a trans individual, be it any individual, is equated with disrespecting G-d. It is even declared by a Committee on Jewish Law and Standards that “kvod habriyot” should replace rabbinical prohibitions relating to homosexuality. The resolution makes several other points about discrimination and support of marginalized groups by the conservative movement and raises an interesting point. “.