Rabbi to lead Gay Pride Parade

A lesbian rabbi will be among the grand marshals at the New York City Gay Pride Parade.Sharon Kleinbaum, senior rabbi of Congregation Beth Simchat Torah, told NY1 news that she is “very proud that religion will be leading the march this year, and we’ll be joining together with those political and civic and social organizations” to support gay rights. The parade is Sunday.Kleinbaum was ordained by the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 1990 and now leads the world’s largest congregation geared toward gay and transgender Jews.”I didn’t want to reject being Jewish because I was gay,” Kleinbaum said. “I felt like I had the right to claim the mantle of my tradition as much as anybody did.”