the Grindr Rebbe is ushering in a new age of religious outreach
October 30, 2015 10:53 AM Subscribe
Meet the Grindr Rabbi Who Says the Gay Sex App Can Bring Jews Together
It was probably the first time things like “So I went to a bar mitzvah last weekend” and “The lecture I’m in is longer than my grandfather’s Passover seder,” were used as pick-up lines on Grindr.
It was probably the first time things like “So I went to a bar mitzvah last weekend” and “The lecture I’m in is longer than my grandfather’s Passover seder,” were used as pick-up lines on Grindr.
really i just want to talk about bageling
posted by poffin boffin at 11:04 AM on October 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by poffin boffin at 11:04 AM on October 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
the Grindr rests
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:07 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:07 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
(On the 7th day)
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:07 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Potomac Avenue at 11:07 AM on October 30, 2015 [1 favorite]
I wonder if he's thought of working with Keshet on this project, in any capacity.
From the article: That statistic, coupled with the fact that LGBT households are less engaged in Jewish communal life suggests that Grindr could be a great place to find unaffiliated but interested Jews.
At least a couple of studies have been done in the last 5 years of New York's Jewish LGBT community, and they report lower levels of engagement with Judaism and Jewish culture than other groups. That's across every sect. It isn't hard to understand why. Orthodox New York Jewish institutions still have a homophobia problem. Conservative Judaism took far too long to endorse and support gay marriage, and while that sect along with Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism now perform gay marriages, acceptance is apparently not universal. Why the hell should a group embrace a religious tradition and/or culture if it's not going to embrace them back? Or in the case of the Orthodox, meet them with outright hostility, shunning and worse?
The experience of San Francisco's LGBT population is apparently far different, which is nice to see. (The report notes that this is probably because of the Bay Area's tradition for openness and acceptance.)
posted by zarq at 12:14 PM on October 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
From the article: That statistic, coupled with the fact that LGBT households are less engaged in Jewish communal life suggests that Grindr could be a great place to find unaffiliated but interested Jews.
At least a couple of studies have been done in the last 5 years of New York's Jewish LGBT community, and they report lower levels of engagement with Judaism and Jewish culture than other groups. That's across every sect. It isn't hard to understand why. Orthodox New York Jewish institutions still have a homophobia problem. Conservative Judaism took far too long to endorse and support gay marriage, and while that sect along with Reform and Reconstructionist Judaism now perform gay marriages, acceptance is apparently not universal. Why the hell should a group embrace a religious tradition and/or culture if it's not going to embrace them back? Or in the case of the Orthodox, meet them with outright hostility, shunning and worse?
The experience of San Francisco's LGBT population is apparently far different, which is nice to see. (The report notes that this is probably because of the Bay Area's tradition for openness and acceptance.)
posted by zarq at 12:14 PM on October 30, 2015 [4 favorites]
Yeah, I feel really glad to have grown up with a reform congregation that was enthusiastic about gay marriage and saved their side-eyes for interfaith ones.
it would be nice if people would stop trying to set me up with gay cantors though
posted by poffin boffin at 1:06 PM on October 30, 2015
it would be nice if people would stop trying to set me up with gay cantors though
posted by poffin boffin at 1:06 PM on October 30, 2015
Is this what you mean by bageling? Or this, well scroll down.
posted by jeffburdges at 1:09 PM on October 30, 2015
posted by jeffburdges at 1:09 PM on October 30, 2015
As a weird coincidence, a handful of digital media types contracting at my last longterm gig, an LGBT non-profit, also do work for a Jewish news non-profit (we shared a couple of board members), and there was a running joke about what stories would lead us to overt collaboration — one of the recurring ones was "Grindr Rabbi Fights Crime."
Like, "Oh, yeah, we'll just run a merge on our lists and do a blast: 'Grindr Rabbi Fights Crime.' That should get the opens up."
posted by klangklangston at 2:03 PM on October 30, 2015
Like, "Oh, yeah, we'll just run a merge on our lists and do a blast: 'Grindr Rabbi Fights Crime.' That should get the opens up."
posted by klangklangston at 2:03 PM on October 30, 2015
It's kind of amazing how grindr has become this secondary communication network.
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:38 PM on October 30, 2015
posted by feckless fecal fear mongering at 9:38 PM on October 30, 2015
I know more than a couple people in public health that use it, including a guy who does free HIV testing. Like, if you're looking for MSM who might be resistant to traditional outreach, it's pretty fantastic.
posted by klangklangston at 10:45 PM on October 31, 2015
posted by klangklangston at 10:45 PM on October 31, 2015
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posted by thelonius at 11:02 AM on October 30, 2015 [2 favorites]