Worshipers at the Sabbath morning services of the 15th World Conference of Gay, Lesbian & Bisexual Jews were picketed by Southern Baptist protesters, according to participants in the meeting.
The dozen or so Southern Baptist protesters stood outside Congregation Beth El Binah in Dallas on Saturday in a pouring rain, shouting at the worshipers to repent both for their homosexuality and their Jewishness, said Jack Gilbert, of London, president of the gay organization.
The World Congress of Gay & Lesbian Jewish Organizations is the umbrella group for 65 gay, lesbian and bisexual Jewish organizations in North and South America, Europe, South Africa, Australia and Israel.
Beth El Binah is a Reform congregation that caters to gay, lesbian and bisexual Jews.
Some 300 people attended the conference, said Gilbert, which was held at Dallas’ Fairmont Hotel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.