(RNS) — It feels even scarier in 2025, not knowing if I will be targeted for the mezuzah on my door or the pride flag I have hanging.
A Star of David pride flag during a Capital Pride Parade in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Ted Eytan (CC BY 4.0))
By Ely Winkler
May 21, 2025
(RNS) — Last fall, Eshel, an Orthodox Jewish nonprofit for LGBTQ+ Jews and their families, conducted a survey to understand experiences of antisemitism among queer Jews since Oct. 7, 2023.
The results show a clear picture: LGBTQ+ Jews are facing unique discrimination, especially in queer spaces we once considered welcoming and inclusive. And as the current administration in the United States takes aim at the LGBTQ+ community, it’s likely they are now feeling even more marginalized than our November data shows.
Eshel’s survey, conducted with A Wider Bridge, a pro-Israel LGBTQ+ group, found most respondents (56%) said they stopped engaging or are holding parts of themselves back in LGBTQ+ environments since the Israel-Hamas war broke out.
This aligns with The State of Antisemitism in America 2024 report from the American Jewish Committee, which also indicates 56% of American Jews say they have altered their behavior out of concern for their safety since Oct. 7. But for LGBTQ+ people, losing access to queer spaces has a major impact on mental health and isolation, for which they are already at higher risk of experiencing.
I have seen this firsthand navigating social relationships since the war began. I find myself deciding if I should go to bars that have hosted anti-Israel events, and whether I will be questioned about my parents living in Israel. I consider whether to frequent arts and cultural gatherings that now feature anti-Israel voices.
Civil rights attorney Bobbi M. Bittker published evidence of such discrimination, noting, “Conditional acceptance [in LGBTQ+ spaces] forces Jews to suppress their identity to gain societal approval.” For me and many of our survey respondents, we once considered the queer community a home but are now faced with conditional acceptance.