5101 US-42 • LOUISVILLE, KY 40241 • (502) 423-1818

LGBTQ Equality

LGBTQ Equality at The Temple

The Temple has always promoted the two central ideals in Jewish teachings “Love thy neighbor” and “all people are created in God’s image.” Throughout The Temple’s 175 year history Rabbis and lay leaders have been active in civil rights and in advocating for fair treatment of all people including LGBTQ individuals.

The Temple rabbis are active with the Fairness Campaign and have conducted same sex marriage rites since 1996 – including the first same sex marriage in the state of Israel. The Temple is a welcoming congregation and celebrates the contributions of all of its members. The Temple rabbis hope that Pride Shabbat will help to promote acceptance for and celebration of LGBTQ individuals in Louisville and throughout the region.

Schedule of Events for Pride Month 2021

Friday, June 11

Friday Night Services with Special Guest Speaker | 6:30 pm
Julie Robinson is the Vice President of the Tri-State Alliance and the Director of its LGBTQIA Youth Group that serves Southwestern Indiana, Northwestern Kentucky and Southern Illinois. She has been with the TSA Youth Group for 21 years, when she started attending the group as a 12-year old. She works with LGBTQIA homeless youth in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Missouri. She is an outspoken advocate for LGBTQIA youth, speaking at a variety of government units.

Saturday, June 12

Torah Study | 9:00 -10:00 am

Pride Shabbat Morning Service | 10:30 am

All events are free and open to the public and generously sponsored by the Jewish Heritage Fund for Excellence.

The Temple LGBTQ Pride Shabbat

Fifth Annual Pride Shabbat “Creating a Welcoming Community”

The Temple commemorates Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and Questioning (LGBTQ) Pride month with the Fifth Annual Pride Shabbat.

The Temple represents the only Jewish congregation in Kentucky that commemorates LGBTQ pride month with a special Shabbat Service.

Judaism teaches that the differences between humans are a divine act: God created us different and distinct from each other. Every one of us has our own face, opinions, and orientation. Some of us have one sexual orientation and one gender identity, and some have another. We were all created in God’s image.

Together with our lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender members, we celebrate the sanctity of every human life and seek to realize the divine image inherent in us all. The Temple is leading religious discourse that seeks to welcome LGBTQ members as equals in society at large and in our own community. A genuine invitation to join our community requires recognition of the unique value and life stories of LGBTQ people and celebration of the contribution they make to our Temple.

Through such an invitation, our own community will become richer and more diverse; while members of the LGBTQ community are able to enjoy community life and the additional meaning Reform Judaism bring to all our members.

During the month of June, The Temple will mark Pride Shabbat through prayer, study, and experience. The Pride Shabbat can help us advance from the stage of accepting the LGBTQ community to the stage of actively inviting LGBTQ people to be full partners in our community.

Pride Shabbat is celebrated in June as part of a worldwide program of Pride events commemorating the beginnings of the LGBTQ liberation movement in June 1969. Since then, Pride Month includes parades, demonstrations – and prayers.

Proud Member of the Bluegrass Rainbow Faith Communities

All events are free and open to the public. For more information about this special Pride Shabbat, please contact:

Avery Curtis at 502-212-2020 or avery@thetemplelouky.org.