Education Ministry to recognize gay and lesbian youth group
Status of Gay Youth Organization will now be equal to other youth movements and will receive government funding.
By Or KashtiEducation Minister Yuli Tamir will announce on Wednesday the ministry's recognition of the Israeli Gay Youth Organization (IGY), at the organization's annual fundraising event in Tel Aviv.
The status of IGY, which conducts activities for gay youth and has some 1,500 members, will be equal to that of other youth movements and, like them, it will receive government support.
The Justice Ministry is expected to approve changes to the education minister's support regulations, thus enabling IGY to receive funds.
Tamir met gay-lesbian community activists several times in recent months and heard their request to cooperate with the ministry.
One of the criteria for receiving state funds is submitting a membership list to the Education Ministry, including identity numbers and addresses. However, the regulation was later changed in view of IGY members' potential fear of disclosing identifying details. Now it stipulates that when a list of members cannot be submitted for justified reasons and for special considerations, the organization would be considered on the basis of other criteria.
The Education Ministry also intends to increase the support mentioned in the regulations from NIS 200,000 to NIS 1 million.
Itay Pinkas, a Tel Aviv councilman and one of the initiators of the move to recognize IGY, said "gay youth groups have been operating for 15 years already but have not been recognized until now. This is a big step forward. It's not only the financial support, but having a girl or boy know that the Education Ministry recognizes their organization. Now they too can feel they have a place in the education system."
Pinkas said that some of the gay youth are reluctant to identify themselves not only because their parents may object to their activity in IGY but because their parents may not know their sexual orientation.
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Homosexuality is not only a sin against God, it is a sin against nature!!! If it is a sickness, as some claim, then God would not have said that it is to be punished by death and He would not have destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Paul would not have written in Romans 1:32 that those who practice such things are worthy of death. Therefore, I too would like to know which Bible you are reading, Hal. I Corintheans 6:9-10 in my Bible says that homosexuals will not inherit the Kingdom of God. Nobody can fully understand God's word until they put God FIRST, as the first of The Ten Commandmets tells us to do. I pray for those like you to repent of all sins, sexual and otherwise and turn to the One who paid for your sins...Jesus Christ Israel's Messiah and the Messiah of all who accept His free gift of eternal life.
What Bible are you reading from? Lev 18:22 and 20:13 calls it an abomination. The New Testament in the book of Romans (1:26-27) call it unnatural, unseemly and error. God created a man and a woman and told them to be fruitful and multiply. The physical makeup of humans should make it plain that woman were made for men, not men for men.
I sent a talkback, saw it wasn't printed, and so I sent another one - and that too wasn't printed! Why not? So please change the above title to 'This Will Cause Youths to "Discover" They are Gay', erase the above paragraphs, and here is my talkback: This move will mislead many youths who have questions - as youths often have, about lots of things - into believing that they are actually homosexual. Not all, but many. Civil rights is one thing, but what is the purpose of encouraging homosexuality??
A very hopeful move. The Reform and Conservative movements welcome gay and lesbian youth. Those who object need to realize that not everyone recognizes their interpertation of the Law. Not even the Orthodox go by the Book, they pick and choose so to speak. Now gay and lesbian youth may learn about the great Jews over thousands of years who were gay, bisexual and lesbian: just read the poetry of Judah Halevi and Moses Ibn Ezra.
Homosexuality ISNT a sin. The Bible forbids sexual idolatry. The Bible DOESNT forbid female homosexuality. Likewise, the Bible DOESNT forbid male homosexuality. By contrast, Sinat khinam IS a sin. Sinat khinam, by harming and persecuting innocent gay women and men, IS a sin.
I protest this "approval" of abomination to save myself from being punished in the world to come. It is forbidden to allow G-d's name to be desecrated without protest. I really don't expect anyone involved in this sin to stop because of me; I'm just interested in saving my own skin...
This just proves to me that israeli schools are on the same track as european and american secular progressive schools. This convinces me that by the time my future children leave grade school they will receive a religious education first and regular schooling second as is in the tradition of american style yeshiva. We have enough americans here now and there will be more demand for these kinds of private schools.
The two faces of Tamir, the Education of Minister: 1. I appreciate it when she brings dignity to Israeli gay youth. A good thing. 2. However I dont appreciate it when she empowers Islamism. Islamism is hostile to our human rights and personal freedoms. Islamists seek to murder Israeli gay youth, not legitimize their organizations. All of us, must do everything we can to preserve our Jewish nation AND our human rights valuing Jewish State. We must teach our children to love Judaism and the Jewish tradition of human rights and human dignity.