This is a personal account of a Jewish Orthodox boy's experience with his bar mitzvah and subsequent struggles with his homosexuality. He initially felt condemned by his Torah portion on homosexuality. He then went through conversion therapy with Jonah, an organization targeting Orthodox Jews, causing him immense distress. Eventually, he found support from LGBTQ+ groups like jqy. A lawsuit against conversion therapy led to its closure, but the broader issue of LGBTQ+ acceptance in Orthodox communities remains a challenge. The speaker now embraces his identity and is grateful for the support and love he has found.
Sure, here are the key facts extracted from the provided text:
**From the First Document:**
1. Bar mitzvah is a significant event in a Jewish Orthodox boy's life.
2. The Torah portion the speaker read was Leviticus 18:22, which talks about homosexuality being forbidden.
3. The speaker felt shame about being gay and sought help through conversion therapy.
4. Conversion therapy was socially accepted in 2007 but not widely discussed.
5. The speaker went through a traumatic experience with a program called Jonah.
**From the Second Document (continuation):**
6. The speaker met someone from jqy, a support group, which helped them.
7. The Southern Poverty Law Center brought a lawsuit against conversion therapy.
8. The jury delivered a verdict in favor of the plaintiffs.
9. Jonah agreed to shut down and never perform conversion therapy in New Jersey again.
10. Exposure from the trial increased awareness of LGBTQ issues in Orthodox communities.
11. Over 73 percent of jqy participants reported feeling suicidality or thinking about suicide.
**From the Third Document (continuation):**
12. Some therapists today use different terminology to hide that they are still practicing conversion therapy.
13. The speaker found inner peace when they accepted their homosexuality.
14. They are in a happy relationship and wouldn't change it for anything.
These facts provide an overview of the speaker's journey from a bar mitzvah, struggling with their sexuality, undergoing conversion therapy, and eventually finding acceptance and peace.