Out in the Open

It’s no doubt at the forefront of the minds of the approximately 45 attendees at this weekend’s Eshel retreat — designed to support Orthodox parents of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender children — that the Supreme Court will hear arguments to decide whether the Constitution allows for a state to deny same-sex couples their right to marry or to renounce a couple’s marriage from another legal jurisdiction. Also of concern is that “the wave of anti-LGBT bills filed across the country continues to swell” with more than 85 bills appearing in 28 state legislatures, as reported by the Human Rights Campaign, an organization that advocates for LGBT rights.

Eshel, founded in 2010 to provide support, education and advocacy for LGBT Orthodox Jews and their families, hosts its third annual event at the Capital Retreat Center in Waynesboro, Pa., April 17 to 19, with the theme of “Family.” … [See full article]