Thousands of LGBTQ Israelis received text messages saying they “deserve severe punishment, death and deportation” and demanding that they “repent” on Monday, according to The Aguda – Israel’s LGBT Task Force.
“You are LGBT and an apostate. You deserve severe punishment, death and deportation from Israel,” the text message reads. “Come to Yeshiva Ohr Elhanan in order to repent. We would be glad if you undergo conversion to faith.”
The message included a phone number and a Telegram account to contact and claimed to be sent by Rabbi Chaim Aryeh Hadash, the dean of Yeshiva Ohr Elhanan, a Lithuanian-style Orthodox yeshiva in Jerusalem.
The rabbi denied having any connection to the message, telling KAN news that he has never talked about LGBTQ issues nor addressed them in his yeshiva, according to the Jerusalem Post. Hadash urged police to investigate who sent the messages.
The Aguda and Havruta, an organization seeking to promote tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ people within the Orthodox community, called in a letter for Rabbi Hadash to publish a public condemnation of the text messages sent in his name and to “prevent the further great desecration of God that has already been done.” They also invited Hadash to engage in a dialogue with the LGBTQ religious Jewish community.
It is unclear if the person who sent the messages used information leaked by the Black Shadow, an Iranian-based hacker group, following a ransomware attack against the Atraf dating website in October. The attack eventually forced the LGBTQ geo-located dating service to shut down permanently, and hackers began releasing users’ personal information in waves unless they were paid a ransom of $1 million.
The hacking of Atraf also underscored the vulnerability of online dating apps or websites — particularly those serving the LGBTQ community — that fail to put proper security measures into place. Earlier this year, the gay dating app Manhunt was hacked, exposing potentially thousands of users’ data.
If the text messages did indeed utilize information from the Black Shadow leak, former Atraf users could find private details or pictures exposed, subjecting them to public humiliation, or, even worse, those users who are still in the closet could be “outed” by the release of such data.
In addition to leaking the information of the LGBTQ users of Atraf, the Black Shadow has also uploaded what is claimed was the full database of personal information and in-depth medical records of patients at Israel’s Machon Mor medical institute, according to the Times of Israel. Other websites affected included public transportation companies Dan and Kavim, a children’s museum, public radio’s online blog, a tourism company, and a medical service.
Yoram Hacohen, the director-general of the Israel Internet Association, also called for an investigation into who sent the text and whether they used data from the Black Shadow attack, saying it should be possible to track such information.
Israeli police subsequently opened an investigation into the text messages, saying it is looking for possible suspects.
The Aguda called on people who received the texts to report the incident via its website or by contacting Israeli police directly.
People who received the text and are seeking someone to talk to have been encouraged to reach out to the Aguda’s hotline by dialing *2982 or via WhatsApp at 058-6205591. The hotline operates Sunday through Thursday and on Saturday night from 7:30-10:30 p.m.
The construction of the highly anticipated LGBTQ nightclub "Town 2.0," which was slated to open in the former St. Phillip's Church building on North Capitol St. NE, has indefinitely stalled, raising questions about whether -- and when -- the promised nightlife venue will ever open.
On April 2, Town 2.0 LLC filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against Jemal's Sanctuary LLC, an affiliate of Douglas Development Corporation and the owner of the former St. Phillip's Church building. The lawsuit alleges breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and unjust enrichment.
The Virginia Department of Health has reported a recent increase in mpox infections in the state.
According to Health Department data, there have been 14 reported cases of mpox since January 1. Four of these required patients to be hospitalized.
The number of cases of mpox in 2024 has already surpassed the total number of cases reported last year. Of the 2024 cases, six occurred in individuals co-infected with HIV, and all cases occurred among individuals that were not vaccinated against mpox.
The cases are spread over four separate health regions: the Northern region, which includes the D.C. suburbs; the Northwest region, including the far-out exurbs of D.C. and the Northern Shenandoah Valley; the Central region, including Greater Richmond and Southside Virginia; and Eastern Virginia, including the Northern Neck, Hampton Roads, and the Eastern Shore regions.
Maybe not exactly like Thirty, a feature loosely assembled from episodes of the eponymous VOD series created by Dontá Morrison and co-written with director Anthony Bawn. But films that likewise feature a gay Black couple as the center of the story, or of a circle of friends, come few and far between.
Undeniably the stories are out there, as is the audience, yet, as one Thirty character laments of the media landscape, "white boys get all the airtime."
Thirty lends its air time to the epic trials and tribulations of longtime couple Khalil (Bobby Musique Cooks), a Hollywood stylist, and Tyrin (Brandon Moten), an ad agency owner, and their young and restless friends, most of whom are Black and queer.
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