Michael Barnett's latest kvetch

A reader has brought to our attention the whiny, kvetchy letter sent by Michael Barnett (of the Jewish homosexual one-man-band ‘Aleph’) to his local member, Bob Stensholt MP for Burwood, (with ccs to Rob Hulls, Attorney General, Michael Danby, MP for Melbourne Ports, Scott Davis, Victoria Police Gay & Lesbian Advisory Unit and John Searle, president, JCCV).

(Read it here:
http://aleph.org.au/docs/20090822_Letter_to_Bob_Stensholt_and_Rob_Hulls.pdf )

Poor discriminated-against Michael is still upset about being refused membership to the JCCV 10 years ago and that orthodox rabbis still quote the Torah’s harsh views about homosexuality.
Into the mix he brings our blog as additional proof of the community’s ‘intolerance’ to those of his persuasion.
On August 1 in Tel Aviv there was the horrific shooting in the gay community centre where two people were killed and 15 people injured. The Australian Jewish News covered this event comprehensively. As a direct result of this coverage an anonymous Melbourne Orthodox Jewish blogger posted on AJNWatch some of the most hurtful language directed at gay people that I have ever read.
His letter goes on:
As a man with a Catholic upbringing you will be fully aware of the sections of the Old Testament in the book of Leviticus that describe the prohibition against men having intercourse with other men and the penalties they must face if they transgress this prohibition. This prohibition forms a tenet of Orthodox Jewish dogma and is more fervently upheld than just about any other biblical commandment. The prohibition against homosexual intercourse (and effectively anything relating to any expression of homosexuality) permeates the teachings of Orthodox Judaism at all levels, through schools, colleges, synagogues and every other aspect of Orthdox Jewish life. I challenge you to find an Orthodox Rabbi in Australia who will not denounce practicing homosexuals as sinners and who will not refer to us alongside people who have committed sins of the gravity as murder, adultery, incest or bestiality.
I am not sure what Barnett wants. Should orthodox Shuls be banned from reading those parts of the Torah that describe the sin of this perversion and its punishment?
We have no idea if he belongs to a synagogue or not, but if he feels the need his type of welcoming religion, who is stopping him from joining one of the Reform/Progressive/ Conservative temples where the prohibition on homosexuality and indeed most of the Torah’s tenets – have long been discarded?
In those circles Michael may even be lucky enough to find a clergyman with similar tendencies to himself.