Keep Your Wives Away from Them is a compelling anthology/ collection of stories by fourteen women who have come out as lesbian or transgender in a variety of Orthodox communities. The anthology’s greatest strength is that it allows the reader access to the authors’ personal thoughts as they negotiate the complex intersection between homosexuality and a heteronormative Orthodoxy. The variety of styles and experiences create a compelling patchwork quilt and give texture to the LBTQ Orthodox experience.
The anthology doesn’t stick only to the personal, but also includes an examination of some of the Talmudic and halakhic sources— what contributor Elaine Chapnik calls “hilkhot lesbiut.” Two essays explore rabbinic discussions concerning women’s bodies and lesbianism. These chapters are an abrupt break in the anthology, pulling the reader back from the haze of personal experiences and forcing the reader to examine the halakha. Even though these essays do disrupt the flow of the anthology, they add an important dimension of halakhic discussion.
It is essential for the Orthodox community to examine both the personal and the halakhic aspects of this issue, and to explore: What are the prohibitions (if any) against lesbianism? Are the concerns surrounding lesbianism social or halakhic? Is there a prohibition, or just an assumption? Discussions around homosexuality in Orthodox Judaism generally focus mostly on men; this anthology significantly forces us to include women in that discussion.
How do we, as Orthodox feminists, address the topic of homosexuality? Do we choose to shy away from the topic because we are afraid that it will bring us further under attack, or do we embrace women who have been marginalized by the Orthodox community? This anthology supports the value of inclusion and encourages Orthodox communities to reexamine the LBTQ Orthodox experience.