First the Gays had Grindr. And Grindr begat… Yenta? Allow me to explain.
The Jews have given a lot to the gays. A quick search at lgbthistorymonth.com reveals an impressive list of gay Jews who were/are at the forefront of Western cultural zeitgeist. The names include such luminaries as composers Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland and Stephen Sondheim, actor and playwright Harvey Fierstein, comedian Stephen Fry, politicians Barney Frank and Harvey Milk, Record executive David Geffen, Beat poet Allen Ginsberg, photographer Annie Leibovitz, writer Susan Sontag… I could go on and on and on. And of course there are the gay icons that are Jewish like Bette Midler, Barbara Streisand and even Sarah Jessica Parker.
Now it seems that the gays have decided to give a little something back to the Jews. It all began with Grindr, described as “the largest and most popular all-male location-based social network out there.” Grindr is an app that uses your smart phone’s geolocation service to find similarly minded gay/bisexual men in your immediate vicinity, thus facilitating uh… quick, uncomplicated tête-à-tête encounters. Users upload as much or as little information about themselves to the app and then technology and testosterone take care of the rest. Grindr has enjoyed wild success with 4 million users spanning 192 countries and has been described as “the scariest gay bar on earth that is all over the earth.”
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
Celebrating 10 Years & Marking the End of An Amazing Project
I had a great time deejaying at the Jewrotica event at Columbia University. The live readings were hilarious, informative, and in some cases, deeply moving. I know that I, along with many of my AEPi fraternity brothers, loved being able to connect our Judaism and our sexuality in a way that made all of us feel comfortable and welcome. I look forward to being a part of this again in the future!
Jewrotica rocks. It’s funny, it’s informative, it’s sexy, it’s interesting. Check it out!
I’m so glad that Jewrotica is represented here at Jewlicious! It’s bringing voices that need to be heard in the Jewish discussion and Jewish climate environment.
I’m into Jewrotica. I went in for my second circumcision.
What an incredible night Jewrotica was!!!! There was this fantastic moment, in a sea of Jews of all sexualities, ages, backgrounds and denominations, that I realized we were all in this together! I hope that there are many more events coming to Austin soon!
While many people fear the “sex talk,” Jewrotica offers an opportunity for writers and audiences to speak about sexuality in a open and safe space. When I attended a Jewrotica reading, I heard stories that reminded me that love takes many forms, and that expressing it is a vital part of who we are as a people.
I love the inclusiveness – there is something for everyone, in and out of the Jewish community.
I attended and participated in last month’s Jewrotica event. The engaging performers and Ayo, our inviting host, inspired the audience to feel like one big community. What a great way to inspire our community to embrace sex as a beautiful thing that can be fun, exciting, sacred, sensual, ridiculous, scary and everything in between!
You may not tell your mom that you’re going to a live Jewrotica reading (or whatever clever name you will dub these events) but you will tell your friends. However, both would be jealous if they find out that they missed it. I think it will only be a matter of time before Jewrotica helps us reclaim the term “Dirty Jew” the way rap music has done for “The ‘N’ Word.” I know I am now proud to be a Dirty Jew!
My opinion on Jewrotica is: It’s sexy. It’s awesome. It’s Judaism to the next level. It’s what we should all be getting into!
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