By Erica Hellman
When I was in high school, my friend Skye came out as non-binary. Skye was especially brave, as they decided to come out, full stop. They told their family and friends, teachers and classmates. Skye had already been out as pansexual, and they were one of the first people I came out to myself. Their confident, easy-going attitude encouraged friendly questions about their identity and I admired them deeply for it.
Skye and I were on the board for our synagogue’s youth group, and we met every week with our rabbi to plan events and other activities. When Skye came out, our rabbi postponed our usual discussions to inform us that she had been researching non-binary identities, and wanted to make Skye’s time at our synagogue as welcoming and comfortable as possible. That day, we designed new signs for our restrooms, designating them all as gender neutral and with or without urinals. When another member of the board asked our rabbi why she was going through the trouble of doing all this for one person, she said this:
“We were once strangers in the land of Egypt, don’t you remember? Why should we make a stranger out of one of our own?”
And on this month, the month where we celebrate Pride, we should remember to be as inclusive as we can. As Jews, we should celebrate those who are a little different from us and as Jews, we should love and protect other Jews. Our traditions remind us that each and every individual Jew matters, and that every Jew contributes to our community. And even more significantly, if there is a member of our community who is hurting or experiencing a time of great joy, we should cry and laugh with them.
Gut Shabbos, and a very joyous Pride!
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