Being both Israeli and gay, as well as very political, I found myself standing up for two causes in the last several months. Following the passing of Proposition 8, I was rallying in the streets of Hollywood demanding it get overturned. A few months later, I was on Wilshire Boulevard standing up for Israel’s right to defend itself against terrorism.
It’s not easy having two identities to fight for. One thing I did learn from this is that the majority is not always right. In fact, it’s usually wrong. Most Germans were wrong to elect the Nazi Party in 1933, the majority of Americans were wrong to support slavery in the 17th century, the majority of Californians were wrong to vote for Proposition 8 and the majority of the world is wrong to not support Israel in its fight against terrorism.
Sometimes the whole world could be wrong and you could be the only one right. Don’t give up on your convictions. People will try to oppose you and tell you that you’re wrong, ignorant or a bigot. Of course, it is always a good idea to educate yourself and learn the other side’s point of view but not to be intimidated by it.
For example, I realize how opponents of gay marriage (the majority of Americans) feel about the sanctity of the word. However, I also realize that including gays and lesbians within the term makes us not just “separate but equal” but equal all the way. I know that most of the world thinks Israel overreacts to Palestinian attacks, but I also know that the world has not experienced the atrocities Israel has experienced perpetrated by Palestinians and other Arab countries. Nor does the world fully know the whole history of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Both Israel and gays experience a lot of hate. Sometimes all I can do is close my eyes and filter all of that hate. The far right is an enemy of both Israel and gays. In my experience, it consists of people who constantly remind me that God created Adam and Eve, not Adam and Ziv.
The far left also undermines both Israeli and gay causes. It makes Israel seem illegitimate and tries to make the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community rebel against America instead of integrating it. It makes Republicans seem like enemies, which is a shame, because I’ve already been able to turn some around and have them promise to vote with the gays next time a proposition is on the ballot.
Islamic extremism has also been an enemy of both Israel and the LGBT community. It regularly tries to destroy the Jewish state while torturing, maiming and murdering gays.
Thankfully, I have not experienced much of a contradiction between being pro-Israel and pro-gay. Israel has been more gay-friendly than all nations in the Middle East and probably most nations in the world. In Israel, gays openly serve in the military, gay marriages performed abroad are recognized, federal law prohibits discrimination and Ivri Lider, an openly gay singer, is a top artist in the country.
On the other side of the coin, I have not experienced many antagonistic attitudes toward Israel from the LGBT community. Of course there are always the unrealistic far-left gays, such as Queers for Palestine, who don’t realize that gays would be buried alive in a Palestinian state. But generally most of the gay people I encounter don’t pay much attention to that issue.
Nevertheless, I was disappointed that a pro-gay UCLA group allegedly decided to endorse a one-sided resolution which condemned Israel for Operation Cast Lead ““ an operation where the state finally defended itself against terrorists that were attacking its citizens for years. I wonder what the LGBT community would do if terrorists from Beverly Hills were constantly sending Qassam rockets into the Abbey or Micky’s in West Hollywood. But overall I am very content with the cooperation I see between LGBT and pro-Israel groups.
The point of this submission is to let students know that they should not feel guilty about their political views even if they are unpopular.
One last thing: The creator of a Facebook group said that I shouldn’t tell people that I served in the Israeli Air Force because my sexuality is shameful to the country. So here I am advertising it in a newspaper for the whole world to know.
Kaufman graduated from UCLA in 2002 with a degree in political science.