Israeli TV reporter and son of rabbi comes out as gay: ‘I love men and God’
Yair Sherki bravely came out as gay this week. (Facebook)
Israeli reporter Yair Sherki has proudly come out as gay while defiantly saying there’s no contradiction between his sexuality and his religion.
The orthodox Channel 12 journalist came out in a Wednesday (15 February) Facebook post where he said he “loves men and loves the Holy One” all the same.
The son of a Jerusalem rabbi, Sherki said he was “trembling” while writing the post but was done with hiding his true self.
“It’s been ten years since I’ve been writing and erasing these words,” he wrote.
“I live the conflict between this sexual preference and faith all the time.
“There are those who have resolved the conflict for themselves by saying that there is no God, others explain that there is no homosexuality – I know that both exist.”
He added that, while he feared that his mother may reject him for coming out, he no longer had the “strength to be quiet.“
“I know that this truth that I have shared here saddens people dear to me that I love very much,” he continued.
“I hope that you will find the place in your soul that allows you to discuss the truth.”
Sherki praised for his ‘courage’
Despite his fears, the majority of comments showed an outpouring of love and support for the reporter.
Former prime minister Naftali Bennett congratulated him on social media, saying: “Love you dear brother. And very proud of you.”
Additionally, opposition leader Yair Lapid wrote that he was proud of Sherki for his “courage.”
He had even gained support from members of Israel’s far-right Otzma Yehudit party, after lawmaker Yitzhak Wasserlauf reacted to the message with a heart emoji.
This was met with condemnation from several supporters of the party, who claimed he was “supporting immorality.”
While homosexuality is legal and partially protected in Israel, it is seen as immoral by a shocking number of the population.
A 2019 survey from the Pew Research Center found that 45 per cent of Israeli people believe society should not accept homosexuality, compared to the 47 per cent that did.
