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Last update - 08:21 25/02/2008 A gay kid? No problem By Shahar Ilan Tags: Gay-lesbian issues, Israel  Shas MK Nissim Zeev is doing a good job of maintaining his impressive record of attacks on gays, arguing about a month ago at the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee that Gay Pride parades "give legitimacy to the self-destruction of the State of Israel, of the Jewish people." He also compared the "danger" of gays to bird flu. Mike Hamel, head of the gay rights group the Aguda (the Association of GLBT in Israel), filed a complaint against Zeev with the Knesset's Ethics Committee, which didn't cause much of a stir. "All members of the committee think that MK Zeev's statement is on the extreme edge of violating the non-intervention that the committee has set," committee chairman MK Haim Oron (Meretz-Yahad) wrote to Hamel. Advertisement It's not clear if MK Shlomo Benizri knew about the Ethics Committee's decision when he announced in the Knesset plenum that the earthquakes in the region are caused by homosexual activity, but it's clear that Benizri knew how forgiving society in general, and the Knesset in particular, are toward unbridled attacks on gays. It's also clear that Benizri knew there would be no real public price to pay for a pornographic speech about quivering limbs that cause the earth to shake. It would be interesting to know what exactly goes beyond the extreme edge of the Ethics Committee. The panel recently rebuked MK Aryeh Eldad (National Union) for saying that Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has blood on his hands and MK Moshe Sharoni (Pensioners) for saying the female parliamentary aides "either put out or get out." It's not clear why the committee members think that the blood of Olmert and the parliamentary aides is redder than that of gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered Israelis. It is clear that the unending incitement against gays leads to violence, as seen by the stabbing at a previous Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem. The committee members should have ruled that precisely because of the waves of incitement against the gay and lesbian community, anyone who attacks them will be severely punished. But it's not only in the Knesset that there's a feeling that people can say whatever they want about gays and lesbians. Two years ago, one of the heads of Yeshivat Har Etzion, Rabbi Yaakov Medan, published an article calling for a halt to the "abomination parade," as he referred to the World Pride parade that was supposed to take place in Jerusalem. Medan compared the pride parade to the idolatrous infernos in the Hinnom Valley. Medan is also the rabbi who compiled the Gavison-Medan Covenant with Prof. Ruth Gavison, an important attempt at discussion between the religious and the secular. In other words, Medan is convinced he can talk about fraternity with his secular brothers out of one side of his mouth while verbally abusing his gay brothers out of the other side. These people allow themselves to talk about gay people the way they wouldn't talk about people from any other sector, because public opinion allows them to do so. Benizri should have been removed from the plenum over his abominable words. Zeev should have been kicked out of the Constitution Committee over his bird flu speech. A blacklist of homophobes should be distributed, to make it clear that a growing population sees homophobia as a repulsive deviance and expels it from its midst. The homophobes see the fact that these statements are accepted so easily as proof that only the bleeding-heart media are in favor of the gays, while the public is with them. Moreover, Benizri, Zeev and Medan allow themselves to make such comments because they are convinced that a little homophobe, revolted by homosexual intercourse, lives in the heart of every secular person; they are convinced that all secular people would cave in upon hearing the statement, "You wouldn't want a gay child either." And that's why the record needs to be set straight over and over again. A same-sex family is a family in every way. Same-sex love is just as great as any other kind of love. Same-sex marriage is joyous, just as it is wonderful when children are born to a same-sex couple. Gay and lesbian couples are entitled to partners' rights not because that's what the courts and the media decided, but because they are couples in every way. There are things that parents very much do not want to befall their children - for instance, they do not want their kids to become criminals, use drugs or become religious, as Benizri did. A gay boy or a lesbian girl? Maybe it will be hard for the kids, but it's really no big deal. Bookmark to del.icio.us   A man of peace Vatican defends wartime pope Pius XII against charge he turned blind eye to Holocaust. Feminine features An Iranian motor company unveils plans to design cars specifically tailored to women.   1.   bs from shahar ilan 09:52  |  joe 25/02/08   2.   Ahmedinijad is cooler than Benizri in this regard 11:07  |  Dror 25/02/08   3.   i dont understand why make love to same gender?can a gay 13:00  |  reuven 25/02/08   4.   I grew up with secular teachings, values, and dogma 13:00  |  Dror 25/02/08   5.   The land is at stake 13:42  |  Gentile Christian 25/02/08   6.   #1 13:54  |  A.M. 25/02/08   7.   Shahar Ilan 14:34  |  David 25/02/08   8.   These religous ones simply do not share the same vocabulary 15:15  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/02/08   9.   Gentile christian:be stunned 16:30  |  Yaakov 25/02/08   10.   a lifestyle choice 16:33  |  tulli 25/02/08   11.   Dror, your mindset is the same kind of thinking 16:34  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/02/08   12.   Shahar Ilan, you have no basis for saying that 16:48  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/02/08   13.   #8 Yaacov Sullivan 16:54  |  Baal 25/02/08   14.   And the Rabbis gathered in Their Assemblies 17:23  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/02/08   15.   Hard core anti-Jewish, anti-Israel article 17:59  |  Andras Bereny 25/02/08   16.   What a fag! 19:06  |  John 25/02/08   17.   A same-sex `family` is NOT a family in every way 19:15  |  Burned Liberal 25/02/08   18.   Haaretz is Fixated on Homosexuality 19:53  |  Simeon ben Jacob 25/02/08   19.   Gay families 20:06  |  a homo 25/02/08   20.   Ilan 20:21  |  Gerald 25/02/08   21.   cruelty 20:46  |  Avi 25/02/08   22.   Gay Agenda 21:11  |  Yehudit 25/02/08   23.   A women`s persepective 21:19  |  TW 25/02/08   24.   Homophobes? 21:35  |  Avi Yerushalmi 25/02/08   25.   If it`s not gays, then its nonkosher mezzuzahs or women 21:58  |  Yaakov Sullivan 25/02/08   26.   The Torah itself does not accept... 23:28  |  Motic 25/02/08   27.   Peace treaty 23:31  |  Sherlock Holmes 25/02/08   28.   Speech 02:52  |  Sharon 26/02/08   29.   gay kids 03:07  |  mike davis 26/02/08   30.   The "Zion" of the Sodomite Nation 04:01  |  Efox 26/02/08   31.   re: Yaakov Sullivan 04:04  |  Efox 26/02/08   32.   # 24 Avi the same old homophobic garbage 14:02  |  SJ 26/02/08   33.   Charity begins at home 15:15  |  Savta Dotty 26/02/08   34.   Keep your homophobic religious hatred away from my familiy 15:32  |  SJ 26/02/08   35.   S J #32 18:20  |  Avi Yerushalmi 26/02/08   36.   RE Yaakov Sullivan 19:59  |  Gregg 26/02/08   37.   Jack O` Sullivan 00:23  |  Dror 27/02/08   38.   spare us the gay propoganda 00:28  |  Dror 27/02/08   39.   Intolerance in Israel. He should be fired. 01:00  |  Laila 27/02/08   40.   Jail him for Hate Speach 01:02  |  Albert 27/02/08   41.   SO SAD 05:07  |  Alon 27/02/08   42.   # 35 AVI that was 3000 years ago 07:56  |  SJ 27/02/08   43.   Re SO SAD 08:23  |  Danny 27/02/08   44.   SJ #42 cont.) 12:03  |  Avi Yerushalmi 27/02/08   45.   Gay fascism 12:41  |  Dror 27/02/08   46.   re SO SAD - Danny 03:21  |  Alon 28/02/08

Read & React Bradley Burston: For the journalist, on Yom Kippur Responses: 112 Edgar Bronfman: Judaism must recognize mixed marriages for Israel's sake Responses: 122 Arab lawyer detained after refusing to remove pants during airport check Responses: 139 Nadav Shragai: Settlers have become punching bag of the media and the left Responses: 47 Jewish youths allegedly beat Arab man in Acre, igniting riots Responses: 53 More Headlines 13:44 Russia hints it won't sell advanced missiles to Iran 13:51 Jewish youths allegedly beat Arab man in Acre, igniting riots 14:19 N.Y. rabbi: Animal rights backers threatened me over holiday chicken slaughter ritual 18:30 Nasrallah: We have not abandoned plan to avenge Mughniyeh 14:27 Two U.S. journalists reported missing detained in Syria for not having visas 14:22 Germany launches nationwide crackdown on neo-Nazi youth group 08:31 Hungarian prosecutors zero in on alleged Nazi war criminal 13:58 ANALYSIS / Thank goodness for McCain and Obama support on Iran 20:15 Vatican defends wartime pope against charge he turned blind eye to Holocaust 16:06 Delegation of Israeli doctors to Gaza denied entry 17:01 Left-wing terrorist turned neo-Nazi tried for Holocaust denial 12:58 Report: Hezbollah says Ron Arad died in 1988 21:40 Obama threatens dire consequences if Iran doesn't change its ways Previous Editions Select Day 08 oct 07 oct 06 oct 05 oct 03 oct 02 oct 01 oct 30 sep 29 sep 28 sep 26 sep 25 sep

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