not a closet

[adrian_turtle]

My niece recently came out as omnisexual. (Kids these days. Coming out like they don't even know what a closet IS. It can make a sentimental old activist cry.) Her parents and friends being who they are, I know she has plenty of local support, but it's always nice to have more.

These people have rainbow pride mezuza cases, trans pride, bi pride, and a bunch more. Even though they don't usually carry omni pride, they were happy to paint one special and sent it to her in time for Chanukah.
https://nerdykeppie.com/collections/judaica?page=4
(There has been a lot of squeeing. I am very pleased.)

I suspect she thinks of it as me recognizing her identity. Or as a visible statement that two of her identities, omnisexual and Jewish, fit together. (There was an assistant rabbi at her synagogue that said some things that made me grind my teeth.) I also meant something she might not notice. Even though some people just put a mezuza at the front door, her house has always followed the old rule of putting one up in every doorway except bathrooms and closets. Specifically, you aren't supposed to have one for a closet. If it's ever safe to visit again, I expect I'll be thinking of that.



ETA: Of course I checked with her before posting this.

Comments

[sonia]

What a fun site! Congratulations to your niece, and to you for making a great gift.

[anne]

I'd never heard of omnisexuality before! Thank you for expanding my world.

[adrian_turtle]

I'd never heard of it either. I was looking it up in another window at the same time I was thanking her for confiding in me. At the same time I've been thinking of myself by more general terms ("bisexual," "queer") the freedom of that "queer" is making it easier and safer for some people to describe their identies more and more specifically. So many kinds of pride. It's amazing.

[anne]

So many kinds of pride! Exactly.

[wordweaverlynn]

Oh, what a wonderful, affirming gift.

[silveradept]

It's so nice to have visible support and enough of that visible support around that the younglings don't even hesitate about whether or not they should be put about who they are.

[liv]

Thank you so much for reporting this. I'm crying in a good way. That coming out is so straightforward, that pride coloured mezuzah cases exist, and that 'every doorway except the closet'!

[adrian_turtle]

You were one of the people I thought might appreciate those mezuza cases, etc.

[evalerie]

Hello, I just surfed on over here from TheRCK's page.

If your niece is in the same town as me, the newish editor-in-chief of the Washtenaw Jewish News happens to be a lesbian, and the whole publication is very queer-friendly and inclusive and welcoming. I've been enjoying it lately. It's free. Anyway, it might be a nice small gift to your niece, if she's in Washtenaw County and if her family doesn't already receive it.

[adrian_turtle]

That is such a considerate suggestion! My Michigan niblings have not come out to me about anything, either because they're younger, or because they don't know me as well, or because there is nothing to come out about.

They're in Oakland County, which would be close enough for somebody who really needed a queer-friendly connection to Judaism and couldn't find it nearer home. I was pleasantly shocked, a few years ago, to see a trans boy on the international board of USY. Things are changing a lot of places.

[evalerie]

Hey cool - I went looking for you on Facebook to send a friend request. I found a person who I think might be you, but I'm not sure -- but almost the first thing I saw on that person's Facebook page is a quote from the editor-in-chief of the Washtenaw Jewish News. Sometimes the world is very small! :)