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.
Electronics retail giant Best Buy offered to screen donations from its employee resource groups going to LGBTQ organizations or causes after being pressured by a conservative think tank that holds shares in the company.
According to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing recently made public, Best Buy engaged in a months-long email exchange with the National Center for Public Policy Research, a self-described "nonpartisan, free-market conservative think tank."
In those emails, which began on December 11, 2023, NCPPR sent the company a shareholder proposal asking the retailer to produce -- and distribute at its annual shareholder meeting in June -- a report analyzing how its partnerships with LGBTQ organizations benefit the company's business, according to NBC News.
"I love that you think I have more than one home," laughs Wilson Cruz, settling in at his New York apartment for what will ultimately become a wide-ranging, two-hour Zoom interview. "I am a journeyman actor who has been cobbling together a career for 30 years. That's what I am."
Truth is, Wilson Cruz is much more than that. This is the third time Cruz has been featured on a Metro Weekly cover, and he ensures that a conversation with him feels familiar, like time spent with a best friend. Talking with him is also somewhat of a unique event -- spirited, unbridled, utterly free of artifice. He is warm. He is welcoming. He is wise.
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.
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