I was surprised looking at the Jerusalem Open House's website because I did not expect an LGBTQ group in Jerusalem to be so cohesive and successful in many of their projects. They seem to have established a sense of security and community, that I'm guessing is a little nerve-wracking in a city with so many religious ties, and therefore (probably) very homophobic.
I was also surprised to read about their sources of funding, since normally organizations that are politically or religiously charged are not funded by government institutions. There website says that after 12 years in court, the JOH received a ruling from the High Court of Justice that the municipality had to provide the JOH with funding and treat them like any other community center. They go on to say that the municipality has provided as little as possible, but this is still a momentous achievement in my opinion. I'm not really familiar with the politics of LGBTQ institutions in the United States, but I'm assuming they never receive funding from government or state institutions. That makes this especially significant in a city so religiously charged with the beliefs of three faiths, all of which are quite homophobic (I'm not sure about Judaism on this point so correct me if I'm wrong).
"When I read in the Bible I could be killed for being gay, I understood what it was like to be Palestinian." I wonder if Israelis and Palestinians in the LGBTQ community get along better with one another than those outside of the community. It seems like the extra oppression would bring closer together those already oppressed ethnically and/or culturally, since they have in common such a large part of their identities. I'm sure this documentary would be very revealing about LGBTQ "politics" and daily life in Jerusalem. I wonder how different it is from the community in the U.S.
I was also surprised to read about their sources of funding, since normally organizations that are politically or religiously charged are not funded by government institutions. There website says that after 12 years in court, the JOH received a ruling from the High Court of Justice that the municipality had to provide the JOH with funding and treat them like any other community center. They go on to say that the municipality has provided as little as possible, but this is still a momentous achievement in my opinion. I'm not really familiar with the politics of LGBTQ institutions in the United States, but I'm assuming they never receive funding from government or state institutions. That makes this especially significant in a city so religiously charged with the beliefs of three faiths, all of which are quite homophobic (I'm not sure about Judaism on this point so correct me if I'm wrong).
"When I read in the Bible I could be killed for being gay, I understood what it was like to be Palestinian." I wonder if Israelis and Palestinians in the LGBTQ community get along better with one another than those outside of the community. It seems like the extra oppression would bring closer together those already oppressed ethnically and/or culturally, since they have in common such a large part of their identities. I'm sure this documentary would be very revealing about LGBTQ "politics" and daily life in Jerusalem. I wonder how different it is from the community in the U.S.
As I read some of the posts from classmates I notice a sense of shock that a gay community existed in Jerusalem. It is kind of shocking though that we overlook this fact. I believe it is just that there is so much going on in Jerusalem that we overlook the fact of the GLBT community. It is people like this though that overlook whether you are Israeli or Palestinian and notice people for who they really are.
ReplyDeleteThe potential that shared experiences of LGBTQ Palestinians and Israelis may unite them in a struggle for human rights seems echoes philosophies of the Barenboim-Said Foundation's initiatives to provide Israeli and Palestinian musicians with shared experiences. Uniting them through the process of playing, performing, and practicing music in their West-Eastern Divan Orchestra together, and other groups. Hmm, this synthesis is getting my cogs turning. What if a project like the West-Eastern Divan Orchestra could be directed for LGBTQ/Straight community?
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