The Israeli government will begin issuing gay-friendly state ID for children of same-sex parents by the end of November, Ynet reports. Currently, non-biological parents can be listed on the card, but one parent must be registered in the wrong gender category as either mother or father. On the new cards, “mother’s name” or “father’s name” will be listed twice, allowing both parents—and their nature of their relationship—to be acknowledged by the state.

The decision was made after the children of four same-sex couples filed a petition with PIBA, Israel’s Population, Immigration and Border Authority. “After we lodged the request, the authority said it would accede,” representing lawyer Michal Eden told Ynet. “As far as we are concerned this is groundbreaking, and ends an ongoing injustice towards the children of gay couples attempting to use governmental services.”

One of those children was 20-year-old Noa Evron, the daughter of lesbian parents. BBC reports that Noa’s mother Aviva had to be listed as “father” on her ID card, prompting the army to enquire if one of her parents was transgender. Aviva said the new cards would make things easier for their daughter, with less explaining required in bureaucratic situations. “This is simply a correction of a distortion in a series of distortions relating to same-sex parenthood,” she said.

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Harvey Milk, the gay activist and pioneering politician who was killed just 11 months into his term on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, would have turned 84 today. To honor his legacy, the United States Postal Service has released a 49 cent “Forever” stamp designed by Antonia Alcalá (you can buy it here).

Milk was born in Woodmere, New York, to a family of Lithuanian Jewish descent. (His grandfather Morris Milk helped found the first synagogue in their neighborhood.) He worked in finance in New York City for many years, and though he had romantic relationships and was at ease with his sexuality, he wasn’t publicly out or active in the gay community until he moved to San Francisco in his early 40s.

In the Castro, the gay neighborhood of the city, he opened a camera store with his partner Scott Smith and became a fixture in the local community—endearing himself to many, antagonizing others (he was seen as a political upstart), and ultimately becoming known as the unofficial “Mayor of Castro Street.” He was a naturally gifted organizer and politician, forming alliances and brokering deals with teamsters, firefighters, construction workers, and small business owners.

In 1978, Milk made history as the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California, but he was tragically murdered on November 27 by political rival Dan White (Mayor George Moscone was also killed). His legacy, however, lives on: in film, opera, education, and through the work of the Harvey Milk Foundation.

Milk was a vociferous advocate of being publicly gay at a time when doing so often meant being socially ostracized. His chutzpah gave others the courage to come out, which in turn helped to break down the stigma associated with homosexuality. In 1978, he said:

“I cannot prevent anyone from getting angry, or mad, or frustrated. I can only hope that they’ll turn that anger and frustration and madness into something positive, so that two, three, four, five hundred will step forward, so the gay doctors will come out, the gay lawyers, the gay judges, gay bankers, gay architects … I hope that every professional gay will say ‘enough’, come forward and tell everybody, wear a sign, let the world know. Maybe that will help.”

Amen!

Celebrate Milk’s life by watching the terrific Oscar-winning documentary, The Times of Harvey Milk:

http://youtu.be/4HfrAyS65pI

Image: United States Postal Service

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In case you’ve been living under a rock the last couple of days: college football star Michael Sam came out in The New York Times on February 9, which means he’ll likely be the first openly gay NFL player ever next season. Most people—including Sam’s coach, teammates, alma mater, and the President of the United States—are responding positively. HURRAH!

But, there are detractors. And Jon Stewart—reigning king of talk show liberals and my heart—had some choice words for them on The Daily Show last night. Just watch. This is great television.

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This is the voicemail to end all voicemails, you guys: concerned Bubbe reads about Putin’s draconian anti-gay policies in newspaper, calls gay grandson to warn him not to travel to Russia on impending vacation, tells him she loves him.

This is the best thing on the internet today, I promise. (But this is a close second.)

“Don’t go near Russia. Don’t go there at all. I know it’s the Olympics… but DON’T. GO.”

The post Jewish Grandmother Leaves Most Adorable Voicemail Ever For Gay Grandson appeared first on Jewcy.

• Meet Faygele ben Miriam, the gay rights activist who mobilized Washington state’s battle over marriage more than 40 years ago.

• Bravo’s Andy Cohen totally understands why we watch reality TV, and will get us to watch even more of it.

• A first look at LiLo as Elizabeth Taylor.

• We’re very sorry we missed Bar Refaeli’s 27th birthday earlier this week. Please accept our sincere apologies:

The post Daily Jewce: Bar Refaeli Turns 27, Joe Biden Does the Hora, and more appeared first on Jewcy.

This article originally appeared on Repair the World.

Here’s what we’ve learned about gay teen suicides: it takes a village to make them happen, and also to make them stop. Yes, those kids who recently took their lives, in cities across the country, were particularly targeted by particular bullies. But both the bullies and their victims were caught up in systemic webs of hatred, ideology, and culture. Our rabbis, politicians, and community leaders are all responsible, as are all of us, for spreading the fundamental message that gay is not okay — a message that is lethal, and insidious.

The good news is that, since we’re all responsible, if you’re outraged and want to do something, there are a lot of things you can do.

First and most importantly is to “come out,” whether you’re gay, straight, bisexual, questioning, transgender, lesbian, queer, or Whatever, as a supporter of equality. Every study that has been done on homophobia and public opinion of gays has shown the same thing: the most important factor is knowing gay people, or at least knowing visible allies. It’s not geography or ideology — it’s personal contact. If you’re LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender), just being yourself is a form of activism. Obviously, you have to decide when it’s safe to be flamboyant and when it’s wise to be discreet. But know that simply by showing up, you are opening people’s minds.

This is true for allies as well. It can be as simple as wearing rainbow pins, or “Gay? Fine By Me” t-shirts, or other ways to show your solidarity.  But that’s just the beginning. When someone in school says “that’s so gay!” let them know that “gay” is not a synonym for “stupid.” If you’re in an all-straight crowd and someone makes a homophobic remark, don’t let it slide – call them on it, just like you (hopefully) would if they said something anti-Semitic or racist.

In terms of formal volunteering, one way students can get involved is by starting gay-straight alliances (GSA’s) at schools, camps, yeshivas, youth groups, and just about anywhere else. Of course, it’s kind of weird to have a GSA with no (out) gay people in it. But think about it — if you were gay, and not so sure it was safe to come out, imagine how important it is simply that the GSA exists. Even if no gay kid ever joins your GSA, its mere existence has a huge impact on closeted kids, and on would-be homophobes and bullies. There are resources for how to do this online.

You can also take action in your Jewish communities. Here’s the thing: GLBT people have been actively excluded from Jewish life for 2,000 years. So, if synagogues really want to be welcoming, they have to be pro-active. There should be a “GLBT” tab on their websites. Rabbis should periodically talk about GLBT issues. And you, as a gay person or an ally, can help make that happen.

Chances are, your rabbi or community leader will say “But we are welcoming! We just don’t have any gay people!” Ask them how they know that. Ask them what they’ve done to balance out those 2,000 years of oppression with pro-active statements and deeds. Once again, even if no gay people actually come out of the woodwork, just taking these public statements can have a massive impact. They send a clear message: that sexual diversity is natural and healthy, and that all people are truly welcome – even, if you like, made in God’s image.

There are a lot of problems in the world today. Millions of people die every year from preventable disease, our economic system is in disarray, and the world is getting hotter every day. Equality for GLBT people is only one of many important issues — but it is one about which we can act effectively in our home communities. Unlike some of those other macro-problems, equality for GLBT people is ultimately local. We’re not going to change hearts from the top down; we’re going to do it person to person, neighbor to neighbor. You can make a difference, because as the saying says, kol yisrael arevim zeh la’zeh — all of us are responsible for one another.

Sign the Jewish community pledge against homophobic bullying See also: “Paladino’s Bias And The Charedim: Time To Speak Out” by Jeremy Burton and “The Cost Of Standing Idly By” by Rabbi Steven Greenberg.

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