Episode 41 - The Search for Acceptance: LGBTQ Jews and Mental Health

“The shift focused from the world bullying me to me bullying myself… I literally thought my life was coming all together, and then I realized I was gay .......”

— Micah Thau

While depression, self harm, substance abuse, and suicidal thoughts can affect anyone, they’re more common among the LGBTQ population — especially those members who come from a religious background.

This episode of Living Jewishly is an instalment of Crossing The Sea, a podcast focused on mental health. In this episode, young, queer Jewish adults tell their stories in their own words.

Dr. Elliott Malamet and his special guests Micah Thau and Shlomo Satt candidly and honestly discuss mental health and their experiences growing up queer and Jewish, touching on topics such as bullying, the process of coming out, parental expectations, so-called conversion therapy, self acceptance, and how religious leaders may smooth the path for their queer community members.

“My attitude basically the entire time as a teenager was ‘I need to repress this or change it’ — I knew that it was incompatible with the lifestyle I wanted to live, which was a very Orthodox lifestyle.”

— Shlomo Satt

This‌ ‌episode discusses:‌ ‌

• How and why a religious upbringing and environment complicates the coming-out process and self acceptance.
• The real-life experience of psychological trauma caused by conversion therapy.
• The responsibility that religious leaders to ensure the comfort and safety of the young, queer members in their communities.