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Major Josh Guralter [message #57384]

Wed, 17 June 2009 12:35

JFR

On fire!

Location: Israel
Registered: October 2004
Messages: 1367

A friend sent me a link to an article in the online internal magazine of the Israel army. When I described the contents of the article to Timmy he asked me to share it with the forum. I can't do that because it's a long article and I just don't have the time or the energy right now to translate it from the original Hebrew. The article is about the acceptance of gays into positions of command in the Israel Defence Forces. It is, in fact, an interview with Major Josh Guralter (I hope I have transcribed his name correctly). The interview tells how Josh gradually became aware of his sexual orientation. But there were complications: Josh is a religious Jew and he had to reconcile the "two parts of my (his) soul" because he could not split his soul in two.

He found his modus vivendi and after some agonizing soul searching he decided to come out of the closet. His immediate family have found this very hard to accept and prefer not to talk about it. His friends were surprised and later accepting. When he was conscripted into the army aged 18 he decided not to keep his orientation a secret and found that no one seemed to care what his orientation was.

To cut a long story short: the article was about the enormous change regarding gays that has come over the more enlightened (i.e. non religious) segments of Israeli society in general and in the armed forces in particular. Josh has made a career in the army. He has been promoted to the rank of major and now serves as a legal assistant to the Chief Military Lawyer (called JAG in USA). More than that, Josh was married to Lior in a same-sex marriage in Canada, The picture shows the ceremony in which the insignia of his rank as major were attached to his epaulettes. On the right is the Chief Military Lawyer (his commanding officer) and on the left is his husband, Lior. What a huge way we have come. Still an enormous way to go.

J F R

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[Updated on: Wed, 17 June 2009 14:55]

The paradox has often been noted that the United States, founded in secularism, is now the most religiose country in Christendom, while England, with an established church headed by its constitutional monarch, is among the least. (Richard Dawkins, 2006)

Re: Major Josh Gortler [message #57385 is a reply to message #57384]

Wed, 17 June 2009 13:01

timmy

Has no life at all

Location: UK, in Devon
Registered: February 2003
Messages: 13796

Compare and contrast this with the UK where the military are allowed to march on gay pride rallies in uniform if they wish, and the USA with "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

Author of Queer Me! Halfway Between Flying and Crying - the true story of life for a gay boy in the Swinging Sixties in a British all male Public School

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