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When We Seek God as a Partner
In Parashat Sh’mini we read of the death of Aaron’s sons who offered “alien fire” to God and were consumed. While commentators throughout the ages have tried to make sense of this tragedy, the text also guides us to appreciate the power of the choices we make.
Senate Fails to Advance Justice for Servicewomen
It’s impossible to ignore the potential of risk of joining the Armed Forces: risk of serious physical, emotional or mental harm, and of the ultimate sacrifice. But rape and sexual violence, especially within the ranks, should never be a threat for Americans in uniform.
Yesterday, the Senate voted not to advance critical legislation to reform the military sexual assault adjudication system—a moral failure to address the alarmingly high rate of assault against service members, by service members. The legislation, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand’s (D-NY) Amendment 1578 to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), would remove the decision whether to prosecute sexual assault cases from the military chain of command. When 75 percent of service members who have been sexually assaulted lack the confidence in the military justice system to report the crimes committed against them, we know change is long overdue.
Plight of Rohingya Muslims is Call to Action to End Religious Persecution
Today, a senior U.S. official called for Burma to give citizenship to Rohingya Muslims who are fleeing persecution in their historic homeland. The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority living in northern Rakhine State in western Burma. For decades, they have faced severe persecution and violence at the hands of the government. Burma's 1982 Citizenship Law denies the roughly 1.33 million Rohingya citizenship, in spite of the fact that Rohingya have lived in Burma for generations. In fact, Burmese President Thein Sein outright denies the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group of Burma, calling them "Bengali" instead.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: Reflections on Pride Month
This month, we celebrate LGBT Pride, which occurs every year in June. This month is my fifth year celebrating Pride Month as an out gay man, and this year I have a lot to be proud of.
Looking Back, Looking Forward: Reflections on Pride Month
This month, we celebrate LGBT Pride, which occurs every year in June. This month is my fifth month celebrating pride as an out gay man, and this year I have a lot to be proud of.
I am proud of our country and the direction we’re heading in. When I first celebrated Pride Month in June 2011, the military still banned gay and lesbian service members from serving openly; marriage was still defined as only between a man and a woman by the federal government; and employees of federal contractors and subcontractors had to fear losing their jobs because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
Reform CA Leadership Letter to Assembly Appropriations - AB 953
The following letter was sent to members of the California State Assembly Appropriations Committee on May 12, 2015 by Reform California leadership: Dear Member of the Assembly Appropriations Committee: As part of our “B’yachad: In This Together” campaign, we write to you in strong support of AB 953,
Interfaith Community Expresses Support for LGBT Student Non-Discrimination Protections
Contact: Max Rosenblum or Jordan Dashow
202.387.2800 | news@rac.org
More than Pride: Raising a Voice of Faith Against LGBT Discrimination
Yesterday, we reflected on the pride our Reform Jewish community should have for the great advocacy work we have done on behalf of LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender) rights over the past
Faith Organizations Urge Lawmakers to Take a Stand on LGBT Discrimination
Currently, federal law explicitly protects students from discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex, and disability. However, no federal law explicitly protects students from discrimination based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity or their association with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The Student Non-Discrimination Act (H.R. 846/S. 439) would address this issue by explicitly prohibiting public schools from discriminating against any student based on the categories above.