(RNS) — Last fall, Eshel, an Orthodox Jewish nonprofit for LGBTQ+ Jews and their families, conducted a survey to understand experiences of antisemitism among queer Jews since Oct. 7, 2023.
The results show a clear picture: LGBTQ+ Jews are facing unique discrimination, especially in queer spaces we once considered welcoming and inclusive. And as the current administration in the United States takes aim at the LGBTQ+ community, it’s likely they are now feeling even more marginalized than our November data shows.
Eshel’s survey, conducted with A Wider Bridge, a pro-Israel LGBTQ+ group, found most respondents (56%) said they stopped engaging or are holding parts of themselves back in LGBTQ+ environments since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.
This aligns with The State of Antisemitism in America 2024 report from the American Jewish Committee, which also indicates 56% of American Jews say they have altered their behavior out of concern for their safety since Oct. 7. But for LGBTQ+ people, losing access to queer spaces has a major impact on mental health and isolation, for which they are already at higher risk of experiencing.
I have seen this firsthand navigating social relationships since the war began. I find myself deciding if I should go to bars that have hosted anti-Israel events, and whether I will be questioned about my parents living in Israel. I consider whether to frequent arts and cultural gatherings that now feature anti-Israel voices.
Civil rights attorney Bobbi M. Bittker published evidence of such discrimination, noting, “Conditional acceptance [in LGBTQ+ spaces] forces Jews to suppress their identity to gain societal approval.” For me and many of our survey respondents, we once considered the queer community a home but are now faced with conditional acceptance.
We continue to search for our communities. Rates of depression, suicide and mental health struggles drastically decrease when LGBTQ+ people have even one supportive person in their lives. But 43% of our survey respondents indicated they were no longer frequenting LGBTQ+ spaces, and nearly the same amount (41%) were looking to increase their time in Jewish spaces.
This moment provides a tremendous opportunity for Jewish communities to embrace their LGBTQ+ friends and family. The Wall Street Journal reported more Jews of all identities were increasing their connection to Judaism since Oct. 7. We need to stand up for the communal values at the core of our belief systems to help those who are different, instead of casting people out to a less kind world.
For Orthodox Jews, however, this is also a continuous challenge. Recently, at Yeshiva University, a student reported being assaulted on campus due to their sexuality. A student allegedly shouted revolting slurs at them, and the administration gave a tepid response noting “joint accountability” without mentioning the incident.
As I read the headlines, I recalled my time on campus 20 years ago, when I was called a gay slur and was told I had no place in Orthodoxy. Why is it still happening? While many believe LGBTQ+ students should simply “find another university,” for myself and students like me, being in an Orthodox environment is vital to our identities.
Our Torah values and our halachic tradition explicitly condemn the type of language and hate being thrown around at places like YU. In March, there was a glimmer of hope upon reading an LGBTQ+ student group was established at YU after years of infighting, legal battles and fierce student advocacy. Unfortunately, the university’s president attempted to backpedal the achievement, as did a number of rabbis who spoke out against the formalization of the club, likening it to YU studying the New Testament.
The reality for Orthodox LGBTQ+ Jews couldn’t be further from that. It is not our intention to desecrate the values of our Torah, but to make them even holier by grappling with that which is apparently too complex for the esteemed YU rabbis. It is clear the work of inclusion is far from over.
Outside of YU, Eshel’s 2024 survey of Orthodox parents with LGBTQ+ children revealed close to half of parents (44%) indicated that in synagogue their child felt some level of discrimination. It seems Orthodoxy has continued to foster unacceptable levels of homophobia, which could get worse under the new political administration.
As the current administration issues executive orders and the Supreme Court takes up decisions that jeopardize the rights of LGBTQ+ people, queer Jews are experiencing a triple onslaught of discrimination in political, religious and global realms. It feels even scarier in 2025, not knowing if I will be targeted for the mezuzah on my door or the pride flag I have hanging.
Even more pressing for transgender Jews, these executive orders have a direct impact on the health care and services vital to their existence — services shown to reduce self-harm and suicide rates. This especially vulnerable population continues to feel isolated from Jewish spaces in addition to experiencing antisemitism.
Eshel’s survey showed more than 2 in 3 (67%) transgender Jews reported experiencing antisemitism, a higher rate than the 54% of all LGBTQ+ people surveyed. Many of the synagogues and schools Eshel works with are still reluctant to engage in discussions surrounding trans inclusion.
So where are our fellow Jews supposed to go? Jewish communities, and especially Orthodox spaces, must take this moment to support, advocate and even celebrate their LGBTQ+ community members. One way Eshel helps is through our allies trainings, which focus on fostering empathy and belonging for Orthodox LGBTQ+ Jews. The allies who attend go back to their institutions — shuls, day schools, camps and other organizations — with new tools to create that inclusion.
While we may have limited control over LGBTQ+ spaces and the political sphere, let’s make religious spaces places we don’t have to fear and where we bring a unique sense of pride, identity and communal values. Often, we are not actively looking to change communities, but simply by being included, we help them shift.
It is my sincerest hope Orthodox communities — and all Jewish communities — continue to eliminate intolerance from their midst and embrace LGBTQ+ Jews they may have forgotten about, cast away or maybe never even known.
(Ely Winkler is Eshel’s director of advancement. He lives in New York. The views expressed in this commentary do not necessarily reflect those of RNS.)