Q&A: Attending a Same-Sex Wedding
Attending a Same-Sex Wedding
Question
Hello and blessings.
I’m asking on behalf of a friend. He is a medical student nearing the end of his third year. He has a regular study partner who is gay, and now he is getting married.
The question is about attending the wedding / offering a brief congratulations. Is it permitted / forbidden / appropriate / inappropriate?
I should note that everyone knows they are good friends, and he will certainly be asked by everyone about whether he is attending before the wedding. And afterward as well…
Thank you very much
Answer
I don’t think there is a halakhic prohibition against this. But it seems to me that it is not appropriate to participate in a celebration whose very content is a prohibition. He can excuse himself and say that it is not personal, but a matter of Jewish law. Just as I need to be considerate of my friend, he too needs to be considerate of me.