The New York Times has a weekly column by Randy Cohen where he addresses ethical questions submitted by readers.
A few times the questions have been specific to the Orthodox Jewish community, but I think that this week’s question takes the cake.
I am a straight woman, and I was set up on a date with a man. We got along well initially, but I grew concerned about how evasive he was about his past. I did some sophisticated checking online — I do research professionally — and discovered that he [sic] is a female-to-male transgender individual. I then ended our relationship. He and I live in Orthodox Jewish communities. (I believe he converted shortly after he became a man.) I think he continues to date women within our group. Should I urge our rabbi to out this person?
NAME WITHHELD, N.Y.
Makes me wonder how common these types of issues are.
I actually know of at least two transgender people who are (or at least were) Orthodox Jews, although both were male-to-female individuals, so they couldn’t be the person described in the letter.
Interesting question of Lashon Hara – if you knew of a transgender person “Shidduch Dating” (for want of a better term) without telling their date that they were once of a different gender, is their an obligation to make the situation known publically, or at least inform people who have been set up on dates with the person?
Transgender people also raise interesting questions of where they should sit in shul (which side of the Mechitza), Kol Isha, and whether they should be allowed to teach at YU, But I’ll leave those questions to the Halachic authorities.
5 comments:
i assure you its not common.
is that all what your sorry mind has to worry about.
now you can put your mind at rest.
try not to work to hard. its a strain thinking up these cases.
leave it for the great rabbis.
Thanks for the assurance that it's not common. The issue of transgenders is not something that I spend a lot of time worrying about, just curious how common it might be.
What do you mean that it is "not common"? Are transgender issues less common in the Religious community - absolutely. Are these issues non-existent - absolutely not.
What statistics or evidence to you have to back up the claim that Transgender issues are not common in the Orthodox world. Given that transgender people in the Orthodox world would keep it secret, how would, how would you even get any indication how common the issue is?
you can read your own post.
he was a convert wasnt he.
now how many converts are there.
i just wonder who converted him/her.
no these things dont exist within orthodox circles it is against jewish law to have these operations.
next time you want to splay your cat as your rabbi if its allowed.
Thanks again Anon, it does say that he was a convert, I can only assume that at some point after his/her conversion he/she decided to go through a gender "realignment".
I am well aware that this type of operation is forbidden by Halacha, as are many other things that exist within the Orthodox community, and I would have thought that it was almost non-existant, except that I know of at least 2 trans-gender people who were involved in the Orthodox community (although i have no idea whether they are still frum), and the letter above shows that there are at least some people living in an Orthodox world after such a transition.
our relationship. He and I live in Orthodox Jewish communities. (I believe he converted shortly after he became a man.)
Thanks again Anon, it does say that he was a convert, I can only assume that at some point after his/her conversion he/she decided to go through a gender "realignment".
no comment
Post a Comment