If the Jewish ritual of Seder is at its core about liberation, why not the liberation of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer people from the constraints of social discrimination?
That's the question posed by organizers of Baltimore's second annual LGBTQ Seder, a gathering scheduled for March 25 in which a diverse group of LGBT and allied community members will join with others in the city's faith community over matzah, gefilte fish and charoset.
"Join us as we celebrate and tell the story of the historic Jewish liberation from Egypt along with the broader liberation from the oppressive bonds of intolerance and fear," reads the official invite to the event, which is open to members of the public who RSVP.
Organizers said the event -- a revival of past LGBT Seder gatherings in Baltimore -- is meant to bridge a gap between LGBT people and the larger faith community, which has at times left them feeling excluded.
"Nobody should feel that they can't be Jewish and LGBT," said Mindy Dickler, co-chair of JQ Baltimore, one of the event's organizers. "There's no reason somebody, of any religion, can't practice their religion -- or even worse, that they can't be accepted in their religious community, their faith community -- based on their sexual identity, of which they have no control over."
The need to combat such messages of exclusion is one of the main reasons that JQ Baltimore, which describes itself as a Jewish LGBTQ outreach and support organization, was founded in 2012, Dickler said.
The group is hosting the Seder with the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of Baltimore; the Interfaith Fairness Coalition of Maryland; and the Faith Communities of Baltimore with Pride.
It will be led by Rabbi Gila Ruskin, and held at 6:45 p.m. at the GLCCB's space at the Waxter Center, at 1000 Cathedral St. The cost is $12.
Ruskin will use a Haggadah developed by GLOE, an LGBT involvement program at the D.C. Jewish Community Center, Dickler said.
"The content is very sensitive to the journey of LGBT individuals," she said.
Those interested in attending the March 25 seder must RSVP by March 21 by contacting JQ Baltimore at 443-300-8996 or JQBaltimore@gmail.com.
In other LGBT-related news:
- A Maryland man was sentenced to 4 years in prison this week for the stabbing of a transgender girl on a Metro train in Washington, in a case deemed a hate crime.
- Maryland's Attorney General Brian Frosh jumped into the same-sex marriage debate looming before the U.S. Supreme Court.