In a conversation with Israel National News at the Even Israel conference in Jerusalem, the musician Daniel Zamir talks about his feelings in light of what was said at the conference and his call for mutual tolerance and social acceptance instead of terminology that is mainly 'war'.
Zamir opened by saying: "The topic of the conference is very close to my heart, the connection between LGBT and religion and what to do with it. I came to hear if there will be any innovations here, it's nice that these issues are being talked about at all. There is progress here, and it's great."
"I was a bit lacking of a change in mindset. The only way to deal with it is, first of all, to change this idea that we are at war. There is no question about what the Torah says about it. But fighting it will only make me question and not solve anything," says Zamir, who is religious and came out as bisexual in 2020.
Zamir explained the way he sees as more correct and where people today are wrong in their approach: "I want society to, first of all, give people a much more comfortable feeling, to feel comfortable and open, and then they themselves will be able to look inside and ask. Only when we are open about it can we talk about it. But when society makes me feel like it is an underworld, then I don't feel like talking anyway."
"I think that the moment you tell a person that he has a phenomenon that needs to get help, you create in him the mentality that in the end he won't come to you for treatment, even if he does get treatment, for everyone that comes for treatment, you've lost ten. You have to let go in order for them to come to you."
In the end, Zamir referred to the very existence of such a conference and claimed: "It is definitely encouraging because I believe that people will talk and exchange opinions, and that is great. This is a start, there is a long distance that needs to be covered with tolerance towards the people, and you will see that the 'evil' is not so terrible."