One of my most cherished acquisitions during the pandemic was an early gift from Rabbi Sarah Mack and Jeffrey Isaacs; a cardboard cut-out of Judy Garland as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz that they had espied at a yard sale. Ms. Garland was often masked up while joining me for various zoom meetings and worship services before finally making her debut at our in-person Pride Shabbat a couple of years ago, adorned in rainbow-colored beads.
Garland reigns supreme in the category of female entertainers and as an icon to many people in the LGBTQIA+ community. Nathaniel Frank, an expert on LGBTQ public policy and author of Awakening: How Gays and Lesbians Brought Marriage Equality to America, describes Garland: "She is someone who faced great hostility, abuse, exploitation and misunderstanding in her life and found a way to be both vulnerable and resilient." Frank adds, "The appeal was much broader than Judy's queer audience, but the queer connection is a very real and persistent part of our community's history."
Pride Month is celebrated in June to honor the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in New York City and its historical impact. The Stonewall Uprising was a series of gay liberation protests that marked a turning point for the Gay Liberation Movement in the United States. There’s even been plenty of discussion about whether Ms. Garland’s funeral on June 27, 1969, sparked the riots at the Stonewall Inn on June 28th. Pride Month also works to achieve equal justice and opportunity for LGBTQ+ Americans.
I hope to see many of you at our Pride Shabbat today, June 7th, at 5:45 p.m. as we celebrate our diversity and continue to demand equal justice and opportunities for all human beings as we are all created B’tzelem Elohim, in the image of God.
Friday, June 7, 2024 / 1 Sivan 5784 5:45 p.m. Kabbalat Shabbat Led by Rabbis Mack and Neimeiser and Cantor Seplowin on the patio. Stay for a presentation by S. Bear Bergman, founding member of the first Gay/Straight Alliance, author and equity and inclusion consultant. His show, "The First Jew in Canada: The Incredible True Story of Jaques LaFargue, The 18th Century Transgender Jewish Ancestor You've Never Heard Of," is sure to be a great start to Pride month. JOIN ZOOM HERE
