Much of Israel is presently involved in a Facebook post of a young kippah wearing journalist whose father is a very well known rabbi with a very active presence on the Internet, who came 'out of the closet'.
"I love boys and I love HaKadosh Baruch Hu", he declared.
A few comments:
1. He is suffering and deserves rachmanus. I can't pretend to fully understand but I can imagine on some level.
2. That being said, it is profoundly immodest to involve oneself and others in someone's sexual inclinations - even if he is straight, certainly if they are distorted. We are in this world to get close to Hashem and prepare ourselves for Olam Haba. Talking and reading about some guy suffering with his sexual identity doesn't advance us towards those goals.
3. Saying "I love boys and love Hakadosh Baruch Hu" is like saying "I love ice cream and my children". These are two profoundly different loves. Nobody "loves" ice cream. They love THEMSELVES and the way ice cream makes them feel. Loving children [we hope] is a pure love where you actually love the child and not yourself. He doesn't love boys. He loves himself and finds himself sexually attracted to boys. I also "love boys" [please read the next sentence!!!]. I am not attracted to them so the "love" is not about me because it it not about my תאווה and narcissism.
4. Does he REALLY love Hashem? What does that mean?? How many hours a day does he spend learning His Torah? How much Kavana does he have when he davens? How much Tzdaka and chesed is he involved in?? It is not so easy to "love" Hashem. People conflate being religious or keeping some mitzvos with loving Hashem. If he really loves Hashem - did he make this announcement to increase Kavod Shomayim?? This silly declaration just defames the name of Hashem b/c it legitimizes משכב זכור. Social media is abuzz with excitement and SUPPORT for this step. Does he also love his family? How do you think THEY feel about this?? Maybe it was more about loving himself than anything else.
Maybe.
5. Our job is to increase קדושה and כבוד שמיים in the world. קדושה is marring a member of the opposite gender and building a pure Torah-dik family. IF someone suffers from same sex attraction - they should deal with it privately with their therapist. The whole world doesn't have to be involved. Just like the whole world should not be involved in one's opposite sex attraction.
