Advancing LGBTQ Equality
IRAC combats discrimination against the LGBTQ community in Israel by demonstrating strong support by providing legal representation to the Jerusalem Open House, helping organize the Jerusalem pride march, as well as organizing the Reform faction to pride marches around the country, organizing the “Three Weddings and a Statement” events promoting equality in marriage, and by taking legal action against the exclusion of the LGBTQ community from essential opportunities such as adoption, marriage, and Aliyah.
In comparison to the rest of the region, and many other parts of the world, Israel’s LGBTQ community members are protected by law. Same-sex sexual activity was de facto legalized in the early 1960s and later codified in the 1980s. Discrimination based on sexual orientation has been illegal since 1992, and in 1997, sexual orientation was included under hate crime statutes. Since 1993, the Israeli Defense Forces have allowed Gay, Lesbian, and Bisexual Israelis to serve openly and as equals to their heterosexual counterparts, and currently Israel is one of few countries that allows Transgender individuals to serve. But despite these great strides, LGBTQ Israelis continue to face obstacles that prevent them from receiving fully equal treatment by both the government and Israeli society and its citizens. For example, while same-sex couples have been recognized by the state since 1994 and same-sex marriages performed abroad have been recognized by the state since 2006, same-sex marriages are still not performed in Israel itself. As the only religious movement in Israel advocating for LGBTQ rights and equality, IRAC works to eliminate these remaining obstacles.
Thanks to IRAC:
The Jerusalem March for Pride and Tolerance happens annually.
Non-Jewish partners in same-sex marriages are recognized under the Law of Return.
LGBTQ couples will soon have equal adoption rights.