Background

A friend of mine who is getting an MA in psych told me he thought I over-simplified the pedophilia case, that while many are biologically prone to it, some are not, and it depends on the person.

A different friend of mine told me that in her opinion it is easier to be an Orthodox gay woman than an Orthodox gay man.

This brings me to the subject of authority: What I write here is my opinion. I guess, in order to decide how to react to my opinion, you are entitled to my background.*

I am an Orthodox Jew. Much of my opinions about the Orthodox world are based directly on my experiences with it, as well as some sociological articles I have read. Within the Orthodox community, I try to directly engage others in conversations about things that matter to me, which includes many sex and gender issues. I do this a) to learn from others and hear their opinion b) to try to get a sense of the Orthodox concensus around me. I admit that my sampling supply is limited, and would not really get me anywhere if I were to write an academic paper.

I have taken a few college courses that were part of the gender studies program, and some courses in psychology. I cull from what I learned in those, as well as books/articles I have read - and while I do try to be well-educated on the subject, at the end of the day, my knowledge is limited to what I have time to read.

I have also recently spent some time at a feminist institute of Jewish education, which has deepend my understanding of Jewish feminism by fostering dialogue with passionate, commited, and well-educated Jewish women (and men) about a variety of gender and sex related issues.

Now that you know more about where I am coming from, I hope it will help you to understand my posts, and decide how you want to relate to them.


* I have long argued journalists and even academicians should have to present backgrounds, since as humans, it is impossible to be completely unbiased, no matter how hard we try.