The following links may offer helpful information and links to additional resources on LGBT communities, support, and spirituality. The Institute for Welcoming Resources is not responsible for materials or links beyond those listed below. The links below will open in a new browser window.
Multi-Faith LGBT Organizations
- Al-Fatiha Foundation
Dedicated to Muslims who are LGBT, intersex, questioning, those exploring their sexual orientation or gender identity, and their allies, families and friends. Al-Fatiha promotes the progressive Islamic notions of peace, equality and justice.
- Be' chol Lashon, In every Tongue: Advocating for the Growth and Diversity of the Jewish People
Imagine a new global Judaism that transcends differences in geography, ethnicity, class, race, ritual practice, and beliefs. Discussions about "who-is-a-real-Jew" will be replaced with celebration of the rich, multi-dimensional character of the Jewish people.
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Jews around the world face serious demographic challenges. Worldwide, the number of Jews is stagnant. Decimated by the Holocaust, Jews now comprise only 0.2% of the world's people. We believe the Jewish population, through pro-active efforts, could grow to 20 million by 2020, and 40 million by 2060.
We seek to overcome the significant organizational, cultural and ideological barriers to growth in the Jewish community. A more expansive Judaism is particularly engaging for younger and unaffiliated Jews who want Judaism to reflect the global community in which they live.
Mission
Be'chol Lashon (In Every Tongue) grows and strengthens the Jewish people through ethnic, cultural, and racial inclusiveness. We advocate for the diversity that has characterized the Jewish people throughout history, and through contemporary forces including intermarriage, conversion and adoption. We foster an expanding Jewish community that embraces its differences.
Today, the Jews that live in the other countries around the globe are as varied as the countries themselves. Some are immigrant communities that may look different from the surrounding populations in which they find themselves, as well as Jews who are, at first glance, hard to distinguish from the larger communities in which they live. Just as is happening in the United States, France, or Argentina today, from their earliest days Jews around the world married local people, and, as a result, they came to resemble the people around them. Still, they retained their Jewish identities and religious observances; only they did so with a local accent and flavor, reflected in dress, language, cultures, and food.
- Council on American-Islamic Relations
CAIR's mission is to enhance understanding of Islam, encourage dialogue, protect civil liberties, empower American Muslims, and build coalitions that promote justice and mutual understanding.
- Gay Buddhist Fellowship
The Gay Buddhist Fellowship supports Buddhist practice in the Gay men’s community. It is a forum that brings together the diverse Buddhist traditions to address the spiritual concerns of Gay men in the San Francisco Bay Area, the United States, and the world. GBF’s mission includes cultivating a social environment that is inclusive and caring.
- Gay/Lesbian Baha'i Story Project
To tell, listen to, and reflect upon stories of Gay/Lesbian Baha'is and their supportive friends/family.
- Global Faith and Justice Project
Rooted in faith and justice,
this global project amplifies faith voices that protect human dignity and achieve equality for LGBT people and their families.
- Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation
The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion (HUC-JIR) is the first and only institute of its kind in the Jewish world. It is unique in its place at the juncture of academia and professional training at the Jewish Reform Movement's seminary.
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The Institute was founded in 2000 to help educate HUC-JIR students on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues, on how to challenge and eliminate homophobia and heterosexism and to learn tools to be able to transform the communities they encounter into ones that are inclusive and welcoming of LGBT Jews.
Over time, this mission of education and the creation of welcoming spaces has expanded to the larger community outside the walls of our four campuses in Los Angeles, Cincinnati, New York and Jerusalem. The Institute offers consultation to individual professionals, synagogues and organizations as well as seminars and workshops at HUC-JIR and at local, national and international conferences. The Institute also provides scholarships for rabbinic, cantorial, education and communal service students to work in LGBT settings. The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation (IJSO) at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion is a unique entity within the Jewish community with its explicit mission of preparing Jewish leadership with the capacity, compassion and skills to change congregational attitudes, policies, and, indeed, Jewish society so as to include each and every Jew, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. By encouraging dialogue on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender issues among the organizational arms of the Reform Movement in the United States, Israel and the rest of the world, as well as with local and national educational and social service organizations, the Institute will create a unique space where Jewish tradition, ethics and values combine in the spirit of social justice, holiness and community.
The mission of the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation is driven by Jewish religious values and the spiritual quest for holiness. The Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation seeks:
- To achieve complete inclusion, integration and welcoming of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people in congregations and communities.
- To train and empower Jewish professionals, educate students, and support scholars and researchers in their quest to develop a theology and practice of inclusion.
- To encourage dialogue between constituent organizations within the Reform movement on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender topics.
- To foster collaboration with community based educational and social service organizations to further our mission.
- To grow the Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center (JHVRC) and develop new resources including a focus on lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender liturgy and ritual.
- To organize workshops and academic conferences and develop curriculum modules to be implemented within the HUC-JIR academic program.
- Inter-Denominational Conference of Liberation Congregations & Ministries
A multi-faith, ecumenical fellowship of pastors, clergy, ministers, ministry leaders and congregations that have an interest in advancing the Good News of God’s Radical Inclusivity.
- Interfaith Working Group
Religious diversity and social issues.
- Interweave Continental: Unitarian Universalists for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Concerns
Interweave Continental is a membership organization actively working toward ending oppression based on sexual orientation and gender identity, recognizing that we will not be free until all oppression is a thing of the past. We are a Unitarian Universalist organization and UU principles guide our work. We value and affirm the lives and experience of Queer people of faith, regardless of their age, race, ethnicity, income level, and ability. By providing and supporting leadership and working in collaboration with other organizations of similar vision, we strive to connect and nurture all Queer individuals, communities, and groups and their allies.
- Islamic Society of North America
The Islamic Society of North America (ISNA) has served the Muslims of this continent for well over forty years. During this period ISNA has provided many invaluable services to the Muslim community of North America. Most manifest of course, is the ISNA Annual Convention, which, since its very inception has been a meeting place of people and ideas. In addition to building bridges of understanding and cooperation within the diversity that is Islam in America, ISNA is now playing a pivotal role in extending those bridges to include all people of faith within North America.
- Jeff Herman Virtual Resource Center
The largest online gathering of articles, texts, and websites on Judaism and lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender topics in the world. From the Institute for Judaism and Sexual Orientation at Hebrew Union College.
- Jewish Mosaic
Lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews and allies are our relatives, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. LGBT and allied Jews span the denominational and political spectrums. The Jewish communal world is full of LGBT and allied educators, cantors, rabbis, social workers, activists, and synagogue members. All too often LGBT Jews "assimilate" and hide their identities in order to participate in the Jewish world or "separate" and distance themselves from Jewish life, representing a collective loss in terms of the strength and vibrancy of the community.
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Many in the Jewish world are ready to redefine the boundaries of the community to include Jews of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities. Jewish Mosaic's work is to contribute to and build on that momentum and to foster a process of transformative integration. LGBT Jews should not have to choose between their sexual and religious identities; we can transform Jewish institutions to accommodate all forms of Jewish difference. LGBT Jews can and should participate fully and equally in Jewish communal life and its core institutions.
Jewish Mosaic partners with Jewish organizations, communities, and individuals of every denomination to create a world where all Jews are fully included in communal life, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity. Founded in summer 2003 and based in Denver, Colorado, Jewish Mosaic helps the Jewish world become more open, accessible, and welcoming to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Jews and their families. Jewish Mosaic is a managed project of Jewish Funds for Justice. Jewish Mosaic is proud to announce the release of our new book: Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentaries on the Hebrew Bible, inspired by the online Torah Queeries project that has been bringing you "queer" takes on the weekly Torah portion since 2006.
Research: Through research, Jewish Mosaic seeks to identify underserved needs, and to help drive effective organizational policy change. Jewish Mosaic conducts needs assessments, generates resource guides, and assesses "best practices" that facilitate LGBT inclusion in the Jewish world.
Educational Resources and Curriculum Development: Jewish Mosaic compiles and creates LGBT resources for Jewish educators to help expand LGBT inclusion in day schools, synagogue schools and youth programs. Jewish Mosaic is currently assembling an LGBT-inclusive curriculum library in both Web and print-based formats, as well as an interactive Web-based guide to transgender issues using traditional Jewish texts.
Nonprofit Consulting on LGBT Issues: Jewish Mosaic provides consulting services to Jewish communal organizations (synagogues, JCC's, day schools, etc) to help them initiate or expand LGBT-outreach programs and to modify their existing programs, policies to be inclusive of LGBTJews and their families.
Nonprofit Consulting on LGBT Issues: Jewish Mosaic provides consulting services to Jewish communal organizations (synagogues, JCC's, day schools, etc) to help them initiate or expand LGBT-outreach programs and to modify their existing programs, policies to be inclusive of LGBTJews and their families.
- JQ International: A Space for GLBT Jews
JQ International is a Gay, Lesbian, Bi and Transgender (GLBT) Jewish movement founded to serve as an infrastructure and community building space for GLBT Jews. It provides an opportunity to connect with others and build programs and services that foster a healthy fusion of GLBT and Jewish Identity. JQ Programming offers GLBT Jews the opportunity to reconnect to Jewish communal and spiritual life with a strong sense of self. Pride in a GLBT Jewish identity is established through a wide variety of programs and services developed by JQ to foster and strengthen leadership, activism and social action. Programming is thematically built around the GLBT Jewish lifecycle; however, our programs are open to all supportive community members regardless of sexual orientation or religious affiliation. All are welcome and encouraged to join us. JQ International utilizes years of successful GLBT Jewish community building to produce best practice resources. These easy to replicate program kits are available for other GLBT Jewish institutions and grassroots projects. Through programming and marketing consultation, GLBT identity education, and safe school training seminars, JQ provides training for any Jewish institution seeking to further understand the needs of its GLBT community members.
- Keshet
Keshet's mission is to ensure that gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender Jews are fully included in all parts of the Jewish community. In the Greater Boston area, Keshet offers social and cultural events for LGBT Jews ranging from Jewish text study to an annual LGBT Jewish speed-dating gala, Keshet Quick Dates. Nationally, Keshet offers support, training, and resources to create a Jewish community that welcomes and affirms LGBT Jews.
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The Hineini Education Project
- trains and supports Jewish educators, clergy, program staff, youth, and lay leaders to ensure that LGBT youth, families, and staff are safe and affirmed in all Jewish educational and community settings. The Hineini Education Project has three major components:
Jewish Safe Schools & Supportive Communities
- Individualized staff development trainings, consultations, and workshops that teach concrete strategies for combating anti-LGBT bias, supporting LGBT youth, and creating fully inclusive experiences for all Jewish youth and families.
- Keshet also runs two intensive Training Institutes annually for Jewish educators and community leaders. Participants are given the tools and guidance to replicate the trainings in their own communities.
- Massachusetts Jewish Safe Schools & Supportive CommunitiesIntensive support and training on LGBT inclusion for leaders at Massachusetts synagogues
Building Capacity for LGBT Jewish Activism
Training and technical support for emerging Jewish LGBT groups to replicate Keshet's Jewish Safe Schools & Supportive Communities Program and build local capacity for fostering inclusion. JPride (San Diego), The Jewish Gay Network of Michigan (Detroit), and JQ International (Los Angeles) are Keshet's current affiliated partners.
Contact: Idit Klein idit@keshetonline.org or 617.524.9227
KeshetClal Inclusion Project
Responding to changes in Conservative halakha regarding the status of gays and lesbians, Keshet and Rabbi Steve Greenberg have joined together to create an integrated program that combines a text-based, halakhic approach to LGBT inclusion with Keshet's experiential, skills-based Jewish Safe Schools & Supportive Communities trainings. This synthesized approach offers rabbis, lay leaders, and educators concrete skills for understanding and supporting LGBT experience in the context of traditional Judaism.
Contact: Andrea Jacobs andrea@keshetonline.org or 617.524.9227
- Muslims for Progressive Values
MPV endorses the human rights, civil rights and civil liberties of LGBT individuals.
- Muslim Public Affairs Council
The Muslim Public Affairs Council is a public service agency working for the civil rights of American Muslims, for the integration of Islam into American pluralism, and for a positive, constructive relationship between American Muslims and their representatives.
- Nashville Coalition of Welcoming Congregations
Convened in November 2006 by pastors and a representative of four Nashville congregations, this coalition came about largely in reaction to the passage that month of a new amendment to the Tennessee constitution banning same-sex marriage. It is our desire to provide an online presence and central resource site, a local speaker's bureau, press releases for the media, responses for those discerning their feelings on the issues, and intergroup youth and senior events, among other ideas. The interfaith, diverse quality of the group is important to us and we continue to seek connections and partnership with non-Christian faith communities, as well as with those under-represented theologically, racially, ethnically, or culturally.
- The National Union of Jewish LGBTQ Students
Welcome! NUJLS, the Nehirim Student Program, is the National Union of Jewish Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, & Queer Students. NUJLS was founded in 1997 by a small but dedicated group of thirty students. We are Jewish students and young adults of diverse sexual and gender identities who empower our communities and ourselves through education, support, and outreach.
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On June 1, 2010, NUJLS became a program of Nehirim, the leading national provider of programming for LGBTQ Jews, partners, and allies. Directed by Sasha T. Goldberg, Associate Director of Nehirim, NUJLS remains true to its origins as a grassroots, volunteer-driven organization, and is committed to developing LGBT Jewish student leadership.
The NUJLS Conference at USC on January 15th-17th was a fabulous success! About seventy students from all across the US and Canada joined us for mostly sunny weekend featuring services, workshops, a night of comedy with Dana Goldberg and a keynote with Rabbi Brad Artson. Participants discussed queer Jewish genders, campus activism, Biblical texts, and Jewish ritual from a queer perspective. You can listen to Rabbi Artson's keynote speech here.
Support for Student Groups. Student group support provides the generational memory and institutional development to queer Jewish student groups. This includes access to a program database, help working with campus administration, and connections to other queer Jewish student groups around the country. Skill trainings are custom tailored for student groups to help them fulfill their missions better. Topics include starting a campus group; fundraising; working in your local Jewish community; building coalitions; and organizing methods.
On-Campus Programming. Nehirim/NUJLS offers a variety of on-campus programming including religious services, workshops on a variety of subjects (examples include Judaism and homosexuality, Lesbianism and halacha, Queer Jewish poetry, Kabbalah and gender, Queer Jewish Heroes, Sexuality in the Talmud, LGBT people in the Bible, and much more), and counseling and networking.
Nehirim Retreats. Nehirim retreats are pluralistic, multi-generational, inclusive, and innovative, and students are an integral part of the Nehirim community. We have student programs at all retreats, student scholarships and travel subsidies are always available, and the application process is easy. Find out more at nehirim.org/aid
- Nehirim: LGBT Jewish Culture and Spirituality
Nehirim ("Lights") builds community for LGBT?Jews, partners, and allies. Our retreats and other programs celebrate LGBT culture and spirituality, and empower LGBT?Jews to become active voices in their home communities. Through this work, we welcome LGBT Jews into the Jewish community, and in turn, build a more vibrant, diverse, and inclusive Jewish community by incorporating the gifts of LGBT people.
- Office of Bisexual, Gay, Lesbian and Transgender Concerns
Unitarian Universalist Association
- Outspirit
A multifaith voice of compassion, inclusion and empowerment for the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender community.
- The Rainbow Center Jewish and Gay
The Rainbow Center was founded by members of the Atlanta Jewish Community. It is currently managed through Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) and sponsored by Congregation Bet Haverim (CBH), a synagogue founded to serve the needs of Jewish gay men and lesbians. In 1999 Rabbi Joshua Lesser, CBH's first full-time rabbi came back to Atlanta where he grew up. He was inundated by questions from clergy and individuals. The clergy sought information and a support network for their congregants. Individuals wanted a safe place to question their faith and their feelings. As a new and very busy rabbi with a growing congregation, Rabbi Josh worked with the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta to address gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender inclusion. The Rainbow Center/Mercaz Keshet has been operating since 2001.
- RitualWell
LGBTQI life passage rituals
- Torah Queeries: Weekly Commentary on the Hebrew Bible
Welcome to Torah Queeries, offering creative and incisive "queer" takes on the weekly Torah portion or Jewish holiday since spring 2006. Read this week's essay, browse the archives, or check back each week for a new essay, brought to you by some of the Jewish world's most dynamic scholars, rabbis, activists and lay leaders.
- Transgender Friendly Religious Alliance
Network for transgender friendly religious, spiritual workers of all faith and everyone who support religious, spiritual transgenders.
- Transgender Religion Global Network
To build a bridge between religious transgenders, transsexuals and the different religions all over the world.
- World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Jews
The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews: Keshet Ga'avah consists of around 50 member organizations in Argentina, Australia, Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The World Congress holds conferences and workshops representing the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, & transgender Jews around the world. The focus of these sessions varies from regional, national, continental, to global.
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The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews: Keshet Ga'avah consists of more than 25 member organizations worldwide. The World Congress holds both regional and world conferences catering to the interests of lesbian, gay, bisexual, & transgender Jews around the world. The Hebrew subtitle Keshet Ga'avah - Rainbow of Pride - emphasizes the importance of Hebrew and of Israel to the World Congress.
Since its establishment in 1975, The World Congress of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Jews: Keshet Ga'avah has held conferences all over the world. Our conferences have empowered both local and visiting LGBT Jews.
The WCGLBTJ: Keshet Ga'ava board is composed of directors from member organisations. The board meets once a year in conjunction with the world or regional conference. The 2004 board meeting held in Mexico resolved to encourage our individual members and member organisations to assist LGBT Jewish organisations in Latin America.
The World Congress recognizes the need for gender equity on our Steering Committee. To this end, member organizations are encouraged to send women and transgender persons as delegates to future board meetings, and women are highly encouraged to run for office at our next board meeting, scheduled for August, 2010, in Los Angeles.
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