page_title: Homosexuality and Judaism
hierarchical_section_title: Homosexuality and Judaism
caption_attribution_description: San Francisco Pride 2014
context_page_description: The subject of homosexuality and Judaism dates back to the Torah. The book of Vayikra is traditionally regarded as classifying sexual intercourse between males as a to'eivah that can be subject to capital punishment by the currently non-existent Sanhedrin under halakha.
  The issue has been a subject of contention within modern Jewish denominations, and has led to debate and division. Traditionally, Judaism has understood homosexual male intercourse as contrary to Judaism, and this opinion is still maintained by Orthodox Judaism. On the other hand, Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism do not hold this view, and allow homosexual intercourse and same-sex marriage. Conservative Judaism's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, which until December 2006 held the same position as Orthodoxy, recently issued multiple opinions under its philosophy of pluralism, with one opinion continuing to follow the Orthodox position and another opinion substantially liberalizing its view of homosexual sex and relationships, while continuing to regard certain sexual acts as prohibited.
  Allen Bennett became the first openly gay rabbi in the United States in 1978.
context_section_description: The subject of homosexuality and Judaism dates back to the Torah. The book of Vayikra (Leviticus) is traditionally regarded as classifying sexual intercourse between males as a to'eivah (something abhorred or detested) that can be subject to capital punishment by the currently non-existent Sanhedrin under halakha (Jewish law).
  The issue has been a subject of contention within modern Jewish denominations, and has led to debate and division. Traditionally, Judaism has understood homosexual male intercourse as contrary to Judaism, and this opinion is still maintained by Orthodox Judaism. On the other hand, Reconstructionist Judaism and Reform Judaism do not hold this view, and allow homosexual intercourse and same-sex marriage. Conservative Judaism's Committee on Jewish Law and Standards, which until December 2006 held the same position as Orthodoxy, recently issued multiple opinions under its philosophy of pluralism, with one opinion continuing to follow the Orthodox position and another opinion substantially liberalizing its view of homosexual sex and relationships, while continuing to regard certain sexual acts as prohibited.
  Allen Bennett became the first openly gay rabbi in the United States in 1978. Lionel Blue was the first British rabbi to publicly declare himself as gay, which he did in 1980.
caption: Jewish marchers at San Francisco Pride 2014
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