Abby Stein: Quotes about people

“Being trans in some ways is very similar to being an atheist, in that some people don’t grasp it. People that come from different backgrounds just [say], “What do you mean you don’t believe in God?” They don’t get you. To them [religion] is just so obvious, and I feel like I keep on having that with gender, also. Some people just have in their mind very firm ideas of gender, and they just can’t get it into their head.”

Abby Stein

Source: Interview with Friendly Atheist, December 7, 2015 http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/12/07/a-descendant-of-the-founder-of-hasidic-judaism-just-came-out-as-an-atheist-trans-woman/.

God , People , Religion , Way

“You’re saying God is all made up, but okay, who cares? People say, “I can’t pray because I feel like I’m talking to myself.” The rabbi would say, “Pray! That’s so good. Go talk to yourself.””

Abby Stein

Huffington Post, June 9, 2016 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/abby-stein-judaism_us_57574cbfe4b08f74f6c08963
2016

God , People , Feeling

“People use religion, dogma, community as an excuse to justify their own intolerance, or their own phobia from something that doesn't fit into their conceived notions of gender and of identity.”

Abby Stein

On Popsugar, June 5, 2017 https://www.popsugar.com/news/Meet-Transgender-Activist-Abby-Stein-43598113
2017

People , Religion , Communication

“When and if, all the Jews, Muslims, LGBTQIA, People of Color, People of less privileged socio-economic status, and so on, with the help of allies, gather to cry out loud: “WE RESIST” there is nothing we cannot accomplish!”

Abby Stein

IfNotNow Torah, February 24, 2017 https://medium.com/ifnotnowtorah/a-timely-lesson-lets-rise-up-together-30f4e869088a#.4vrm67rcq/
2017

People , Color , Help , Cry

“I say to a lot of people who struggle [with coming out] — they're always afraid how it's going to affect their family — and to me it's always family is really important, but there has to be a 'you' that can be part of a family. If there's no 'you,' [you can't] be part of the family.”

Abby Stein

On NBC News, January 13, 2017 http://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/outfront-trans-woman-spreads-lgbtq-awareness-hasidic-community-n706611
2017

People , Family , Parting

“People exotic-ise you [trans individuals) in a weird way. They conflate sexuality and gender, which have nothing to do with each other. If you date women, it’s like, ‘Oh, you like women, so you wanted to become one’. If you like guys, it’s ‘Oh, you’re gay, but you didn’t want to be, so you transitioned’.”

Abby Stein

Interview with The Jewish Chronicle (UK), March 2, 2017 https://www.thejc.com/lifestyle/features/sex-change-rabbi-abby-stein-my-trans-agenda-1.433585/
2017

Women , People , Way , Guy