On Faith: Work to end gender-based persecution of kids
By Dan Fink - Special to the Idaho Statesman
Published: 11/13/10
http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/11/13/1416357/work-to-end-gender-based-persecution.htmlNo one should be compelled to live a fearful, secretive life. This moral imperative is at the heart of the Jewish experience. Many times in our history, the oppression of the dominant culture and creed forced us to practice our faith covertly.
Throughout the Middle Ages, when faced with the terrible choice of conversion or death, many Jews publicly embraced Christianity or Islam but continued to secretly observe Jewish traditions.
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To live in hiding and shame, as victims of others' bigotry, is to be denied one's full humanity.
I have been thinking of this difficult part of my people's history — and Maimonides' response to it-in the wake of this fall's heartbreaking rash of suicides by gay young people. The roots of this tragedy run deep. Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered students are often forced into hiding by the pervasive bigotry of our culture.
