The movie I am finally watching, having heard about it years ago... is "Trembling Before G-d" - about homosexuals in or from the Orthodox communities... Being shunned, become outsiders... becomng alone without community ... one problem... AND I WONDER -- who can do more? To be clear -- is it the community that can except or must the individual accceed (I think that is the right word). (haven't finished today... probably tomorrow)
Another issue brought in -- how can you trust, appreciate, respect, accept yourself if you are an observing Jew who is breaking a rather specific and clear "law"? On one hand you accept and love the Law yet on the other hand you are always breaking at least one of those laws .. and in the 20th/21st Century -- homosexuality and genders are a major national/world issue. It is not longer easy to hide in a closet. Being true to yourSELF is highly valued... and the conflict of self and self is what is fundamentally difficulit/impossible for a Frum Gay Person. RIGHT????
For the community -- how much diversity can a community accept, deal with, tolerate... Where and when? What is the power of community over the individuals within it? What are the results of the applications of powers?
Must individuals bend to the requirements of community? Of what community?
How do people of any sort ... navigate the dynamic of good and not good -- or good and bad... when the bad is not necessarily bad.. At least not bad in some places... SO - some people abandon their home comuninity because of the conflict of ways and values.
SO WHAT ARE THE BASIC VALUES... Besides the stated Torah prohibition there is the positive commandment to be fruitful. Family and future generations are The Thing.
What the individual loses is rather clear... On another hand -- What does the community lose? Where do those lost individuals go and what do they do? What is The Future... for all of us?
Once upon a time -- being banished might have been a death sentence so the power of the community was significantly more then. In the past to be bannished might mean living and trying to survice on your own without the help others could provide. Today -- the world is a big wide place with many opportunities for finding community... somewhere.. It is not a time of narrow confined needs.
Once upon a time ... the community was a positive supporting force... Protecting those inside from the outside... An outside that was not welcoming or accessable.
NOW -- the outside is generally available and inside the efforts are maintenance and perhaps - negative. A prison that some escape and others survive... and also thrive. BUT survival is confined and lacks broad and complete information from the Whole World.... Because even as all may be in Torah ... there is still tbings obviously beyond Torah and the insular communities. Hiding away .. in prisoned... are negatives. Are there enough simple positives to balance?
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MY NEEDS are in question ... see other posts... AND if I need a partner what is/are the need(s)?
One need is help remembering... I don't remember certain things well. Names, even events, places, movies... Can a partner with whom I have had experiences accept that I might not remember them well .. or at least need prompts and then maybe I can add something now to what is/was a past memory? I think this is BIG NEED/QUESTION... And what is my memory when "clear" differs from the memory of my partner? OY!!!
Another need -- Kosher Intimacy... maybe... ??
Another need.... general understanding and respect... to get and to give... This is BIG, too, as I sometimes find myself wondering -- how can YOU think, feel, beleive THAT??? OY!!!!
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Chorale was good tonight... Will miss next week and maybe the week after... Videos?
AND the Stock Market... --- Very big DIP....today...
