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| Rabbi Meir Mazuz (Times of Israel) |
The reason they feel that need might be because until the mid 70s homosexuality was considered a mental disorder. Homosexual sex had the stigma of being considered an abomination by the bible.
Until the 70s homosexuals hid their sexual orientation and if they acted on them - it was on the down low. Meaning secretly. When discovered or caught in the act they were publicly humiliated and ostracized. They were often ridiculed, bullied, or physically attacked. Understandably, gay people were legitimately afraid to come out of the closet.
But in the 70s when the American Psychological Association removed homosexuality from its list of mental disorders - and instead started calling it an alternative lifestyle, public attitudes started to change. Activists worked hard to normalize public perceptions and even use the word ‘gay’ with it’s positive connotations to describe them. Now if someone says they’re gay, it does not mean that they have a cheerful disposition. It means they are homosexual.
That campaign has been wildly successful. Most gay people have come out of the closet, live otherwise normal lives and are mostly integrated into society. The government by way of the Supreme Court has even stepped in to declare gay marriage the law of the land.
Nevertheless, old habits die hard. Centuries of believing that homosexuality is a mental disorder and that the bible considers male homosexual sex to be sinful (and an abomination) does not go away so easily.
Even though public attitudes have changed there are still plenty of people that remain intolerant and don’t mind telling the world that. They do not distinguish between the inclination and the act. And even among many of those that are tolerant - they may still believe in conversion therapy which falsely promises that gay people can be ‘tortured’ into changing their sexual nature.
A lot of gay people realize that some people think this way and are negatively affected by it.Which can take its toll on them in a variety of ways. It can lead to depression and even suicide. That is why gay activists support pride parades. They are designed to counter that feeling, allow gay people to feel good about themselves, lead normal lives, and influence the public accordingly.
So why am I opposed to gay pride parades?
First because I do not think sexuality of any kind should be celebrated. Human beings ought not be defined by their sexuality. They should be defined by their character. There are good and bad people of both sexual orientations. There are other ways to instill a sense of pride in an individual that does not involve public celebration of a lifestyle that is conducive to sinful behavior.
As an Orthodox Jew, I believe that even though there is no sin in being gay, gay sex (male to male anal sex) is nonetheless sinful behavior on a biblical level.
Another reason for my opposition is the disgusting and vulgar way many of the participants in those parades behave. In my view that kind of behavior is actually counterproductive to their goal of normalization.
The last place vulgar behavior of any kind should be tolerated is in the holy land. Not in Tel Aviv and certainly not in Jerusalem. Which is where 2 pride parades take place every year.
This lengthy preamble is to clarify exactly where I stand on this issue before I comment on what Rabbi Meir Mazuz, a Sephardic Rosh HaYeshiva in Bnei Brak, was recently reported saying. From the Times of Israel:
An Orthodox Israeli rabbi has claimed the spread of the deadly coronavirus in Israel and around the world is divine retribution for gay pride parades…
Mazuz said that countries all over the world are being called to account because of their gay pride events, “except for the Arab countries that don’t have this evil inclination.” That was why, he claimed — falsely suggesting there has only been one case of infection in the Arab world — they have not seen a spread of coronavirus.
The outbreak in Iran, one of the most serious in any country, he explained as being due to the wicked ways of Iranians and “their hatred of Israel.”
Mazuz is no stranger to controversy or hateful rhetoric. In November 2015 he claimed gay pride parades and other forms of “sinful behavior” were the reason terrorists murdered Eitam and Naama Henkin on October 1, 2015.
At a memorial event for the Henkins, Mazuz said that their shooting death at the hands of Palestinian terrorists had been a form of divine retribution.
In 2016 Mazuz attributed the collapse of a Tel Aviv parking garage that killed six people and an explosion that destroyed the Amos-6 satellite to Shabbat desecration.
How can any sane person, let alone someone that is considered a leader by religious people act like he knows the mind of God? Furthermore, it is troubling that there are many people that will believe him. And may even act on it by physically attacking (with an intent to kill) someone attending a pride parade in Jerusalem as was the case a few years ago.
The truth is that Rabbi Mazuz has no clue why God has brought this plague onto the world. All he is doing is focusing on what he considers the biggest problem facing us now and concluding that this is Divine retribution.
As though there is nothing worse in the world right now???
Has he ever thought there might be another cause for Divine retribution? Just to name a few possibilities:
The current attempt by religious politicians (with - I assume - the tacit approval of their leadership) to prevent justice for sex abuse victims by protecting Malka Leifer, a serial abuser from facing justice in Australia where the abuse took place. Using deception about her mental status.
Maybe God doesn’t like the idea of religious leaders helping people like that get away with their crimes. Maybe God doesn’t like treating the victims like lairs and criminals. Maybe God does not like the fact that people that were once observant went OTD because of the abuse that they suffered, and are now mistrusted or ignored because of it. Maybe God doesn't like people that protect those most responsible for it.
Maybe God doesn’t like how women are being erased from the public eye by the extreme right in a variety of ways that are unprecedented in the modern era until relatively recently. And ‘blaming’ that erasure on God – in the sense that they think they are serving God’s modesty requirements that way.
Maybe God does not like the fact that there are so many religious leaders that fail to express gratitude to the Israel government for providing them an environment in which they can learn Torah in relative comfort and which gives them great deal of financial support.
Maybe God doesn’t like the fact that there are so many religious looking Jews that are involved in fraud of one type or another.
Maybe God doesn’t like the prejudice against Ethiopeans and Sephardim found in certain religious schools or society in general.
Maybe there are a hundred other legitimate reasons God has sent this plague on the world.
And while we’re are talking about blaming tragedies on societal issues unrelated to those tragedies, how can any human being blame the murder by terrorists of two innocent people on pride parades? ..or the collapse of a building killing six people because of Sabbath desecration in Israel?
How does Rabbi Mazuz think the families of those victims feel about that? Does he think it gives them comfort to know that the sins of others caused the death of their loved ones?
I’ll tell you what I think. I think Rabbi Mazuz does NOT think! And ought not be considered a leader of any kind. Nor should he be serving as the Rosh HaYeshiva in Bnei Brak or any other city in the world.
His comparison to Arab countries makes no sense either. They were spared from the coronavirus because they don’t have pride parades? And Iran was not spared because they hate Israel? Does he think all those ‘spared’ Arab countries love Israel?
I am so done with people like this. It is one thing to be opposed to Pride Parades. Like I said. I am opposed to them too. But to blame the current coronavirus outbreak on them is the height of irresponsibility. That may very well result in more harm than good. Pride parades will not stop. But there might be a few more zealots willing to act on Rabbi Mazuz’s words and end up killing a few people because of it.