Citing anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, a South Carolina rabbi plans to move

Citing a raft of recent anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, a South Carolina rabbi Wednesday told his congregation that he will resign and move his family to a state more friendly to gay people, becoming, many believe, the first Jewish clergy member to publicly leave their position over local anti-gay policy.

Rabbi Greg Kanter, who is gay and married with two children, said in a letter to Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim, the oldest Reform synagogue in the U.S., that he was resigning as associate rabbi of the Charleston synagogue, where he has served since 2017.

“A confluence of factors have gone into this decision, including the barrage of legal challenges in the state of South Carolina that target me and my family,” Kanter, 58, wrote. “While last year’s legislative session was not a complete disaster, the attacks aimed at LGBT people continue to concern us. And so, we find it necessary to take steps to move to a place that will not target us and our human rights.”

The resignation will not be effective until June 30, 2024, according to the synagogue, but the rabbi will leave on sabbatical at the beginning of April.

more...