Feiglin tells 'Post': I am not a homophobe

In discussion with LGBT community, Likud MK says he will support protection of LGBT "human rights," but not "values."

By NIV ELIS
Feiglin meets LGBT community 370 (photo credit: Niv Elis)
Feiglin meets LGBT community 370
(photo credit: Niv Elis)
Freshly minted far-right Likud MK Moshe Feiglin, who wrote a 2009 op-ed titled “I’m a proud homophobe,” held a lively discussion with members of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender community in Tel Aviv Thursday night, in which he clarified some of his positions.
“I am not a homophobe,” he flatly said when The Jerusalem Post asked him after the discussion whether he maintained that position. “Everyone who’s ever written an article knows the editors get to choose the headlines.”
During the two-hour discussion in Beit Noar, an LGBT center that was attacked in 2009, the members of the community raised a broad range of issues with Feiglin, including surrogacy, marriage, adoption, discrimination, violence and at-risk LGBT youth.
Feiglin promised to support legislation that would protect what he described as the “human rights” issues the LGBT community faced, such as discrimination, and the plight of youth thrown out of their homes over their sexuality.
With issues of “values,” however, the gaps appeared unbridgeable.
“When we’re talking about the human issues, the human rights, that’s where I see myself helping you,” Feiglin said. “When you’re trying to change the value system, that pushes me into the closet!” Families, he stated, are the foundation stone of society and the nation, and he said he would not do anything to harm what he called the “classic” family structure of one man, one woman and their children.
Despite sometimes heated exchanges and stark differences, many participants said they were satisfied with the evening.
“It was very meaningful just from the perspective of dialogue,” said Shai Doitch, chairman of Agudah, the LGBT organization that organized the meeting. “It is clear he won’t support us on things like surrogacy, but he’ll help us on other issues, and that’s already a huge step.”