Volu m e II - Purdue University Calumet

egarding homosexuality in Judaism and Islam, Plaskow and Ali’s ideas and beliefs will be introduced
separately. Finally, through comparing the traditional views of these religions, we will be able to observe
the ways in which Judaism and Islam treat homosexuality similarly and differently in contemporary society.
In Judaism, “Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13 are taken as the key biblical passages condemning
homosexuality and defining it as an abomination” (Plaskow 179). However, given the recent shift in views
regarding homosexuality, Plaskow observes “progressive discussion of the question of homosexuality and
public policy must start from a curious and important contradiction between theory and politics around gay
rights,” particularly the notion of homosexuality as innate (Plaskow 178). Plaskow argues,
while biological arguments may be strategically useful, it is ultimately a mistake
to ground support for gay rights on biologically based understandings of sexual
orientation. A progressive position must use the insights of social constructionism
to place
the issue of homosexuality in the larger context of the critique of gender
roles,
compulsory heterosexuality, and traditional sexual ethics. (Plaskow 178)
The main argument that Plaskow presents regarding the condemnation of same-sex intimate
relationships in Judaism is the traditional and highly significant notion of male authority and dominance in
Jewish culture. This notion takes root in Genesis, through the story of the creation of Adam and Eve, in
which both were made in the image of God. However, Eve was made from the rib of Adam, thus defining
her subordination to Adam (Plaskow 195). This Scripture has created the traditional image of a divine
relationship being between a man and a woman, in which the man is dominant and the woman is
subordinate. Plaskow notes that this hierarchal relationship presents itself primarily through halakhah,
Jewish law. Traditional views of authority become a concern when trying to define appropriate gender roles
for couples that engage in same-sex intimate relationships. Jewish tradition attributes the dominance and
control of a woman’s sexuality to her husband. Plaskow notes that according to the traditions of Judaism
“the need to regulate women is articulated not as a general problem but as the need to control their unruly
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