List of LGBTQ Jews
This is a list of LGBT Jews. Each person is both Jewish and has stated publicly that they are bisexual, gay, lesbian, transgender, and/or queer or questioning, or identify as a member of the LGBTQ community. Being both Jewish and LGBTQ is a canonical example of some facet of each person on this list, such that the below listed person's fame or significance flows from being both Jewish and LGBTQ.
Academia and education
- Judith Butler, philosopher
- Martin Duberman, historian
- Uzi Even, Israeli chemist and former Knesset member
- Lillian Faderman, American lesbian historian
- Jack Halberstam, professor of English and director for the Center for Feminist Research at the University of Southern California
- Yuval Noah Harari, professor and author
- Magnus Hirschfeld, sexologist and activist
- Ron Huberman, Israeli-born CEO of Chicago Public Schools
- Fritz Klein, psychiatrist and sexologist
- Joy Ladin, American professor and poet, first openly transgender professor at an Orthodox Jewish institution
- Arlene Istar Lev, clinical social worker, family therapist, and educator
- George Mosse, historian
- Oliver Sacks, British neurologist, naturalist, and author
- Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher
Activism & civil rights
- Drăgan Flaviu, Executive Director of the research operation "Aurora Rubiniu," human rights activist, and author of the book about Nazi thinking "Lupta mea pentru viață!"
- Matt Bernstein, content creator and activist
- Barbara Brenner, breast cancer activist and leader of Breast Cancer Action
- Jonathan Danilowitz, activist
- Mason J. Dunn, American lawyer, educator, and LGBTQ+ rights advocate
- Jazz Jennings, transgender activist
- Frank Kameny, prominent gay rights activist from 1957 to 2011
- Cameron Kasky, gun control activist
- Larry Kramer, author, playwright, activist with ACT-UP
- Ezra Nawi, Israeli human rights activist
- Dana Olmert, activist
- Etai Pinkas, activist
- Riki Wilchins, activist
- Ron Yosef, activist
Arts
- Yael Bartana, Israeli artist and film-maker
- Claude Cahun, French photographer and writer
- Robert Denning, American interior designer
- Yishay Garbasz, artist in photography, installation, and video
- Uri Gershuni, Israel photographer and educator
- Gluck, British painter
- Nan Goldin, photographer
- Elmyr de Hory, Hungarian-born painter and art forger
- Herbert List, photographer
- Adi Nes, Israeli photographer
- Maurice Sendak, illustrator and author of children's books as well as costume and set designer for films, theater and opera
- Al Shapiro, artist and creator of first gay comic strip
- Simeon Solomon, painter
Drag performers
- Acid Betty, American drag queen
- Alexis Michelle, American drag queen
- Denali, American drag queen
- Flawless Sabrina, American drag queen and activist
- Jinkx Monsoon, American drag queen, winner of RuPaul's Drag Race and RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars
- Joey Jay, American drag queen
- Lil Miss Hot Mess, American drag queen
- Miz Cracker, American drag queen
- Plane Jane, American drag queen
- Sasha Velour, American drag queen and winner of ''RuPaul's Drag Race''
Fashion
- Eliad Cohen, Israeli model and entrepreneur
- Marc Jacobs, American fashion designer
- Calvin Klein, American fashion designer
- Michael Kors, American sportswear fashion designer
- Isaac Mizrahi, American fashion designer
- Zac Posen, American fashion designer
- Arnold Scaasi, Canadian-born American fashion designer
Film, television & theater
- Chantal Akerman, film director
- Simon Amstell, comedian and television presenter
- Assi Azar, TV personality
- Neal Baer, TV writer, producer
- Orna Banai, actress, comedian
- Michael Bennett, choreographer and musical theatre director
- Alison Brie, actress, writer, producer
- Ilene Chaiken, creator of The L Word
- George Cukor, film director
- Barry Diller, media executive
- Sandi Simcha DuBowski, documentary filmmaker
- Beanie Feldstein, actress
- Harvey Fierstein, actor and playwright
- Diane Flacks, Canadian Jewish comedic actress, screenwriter and playwright
- Brandon Flynn, actor
- Eytan Fox, Israeli film director
- Stephen Fry, actor, comedian and writer
- Victor Garber, actor, comedian and writer
- Ilana Glazer, stand-up comedian, actor, writer
- Judy Gold, stand-up comedian and actress
- Julie Goldman, stand-up comedian
- Amos Guttman, film director
- Todd Haynes, film director
- Matan Hodorov, journalist, TV presenter
- Nicholas Hytner, theatre and film director
- Abbi Jacobson, comedian, actress, writer, and illustrator
- Moisés Kaufman, award-winning Venezuelan-born playwright and director, US resident
- Jessica Kirson, comedian
- Asi Levy, actress
- Dan Levy, actor, writer, and comedian
- Matt Lucas, comedian and actor
- Michael Lucas, entrepreneur, filmmaker, and pornographic film star
- Miriam Margolyes, award-winning British actress best known for her portrayal of Professor Sprout in the Harry Potter film series
- Ezra Miller, actor
- Ben Platt, actor, singer, and songwriter best known for his roles in Dear Evan Hansen, The Book of Mormon, and Pitch Perfect
- Max Rhyser, actor
- Jerome Robbins, choreographer and musical theatre director
- Lili Rosen, American actress, writer and Yiddish cultural consultant
- Joshua Rush, actor
- Jonathan Sagall, actor, director and screenwriter
- John Schlesinger, film director
- Noah Schnapp, actor
- Antony Sher, actor
- Kate Siegel, actor
- Bryan Singer, film director
- Joey Soloway, writer, director, producer, comedian
- Peter Spears, actor and film producer
- Mauritz Stiller, film director
- Jacob Tierney, Canadian actor, director, screenwriter
- Robin Tyler, comic and activist
- Gal Uchovsky, actor
- Bruce Vilanch, comedy writer and actor
- Dale Winton, TV presenter
- Evan Rachel Wood, actress, model, and musician
Literature
- Leroy F. Aarons, journalist, editor, author, playwright, activist founder of the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association
- Jon Robin Baitz, playwright and screenwriter
- Gad Beck, Holocaust survivor and author
- Steve Berman, speculative fiction writer
- Betty Berzon, author, first psychotherapist in America to come out as gay to the public
- Kate Bornstein, writer, playwright, performance artist, gender theorist
- Jane Bowles, novelist and playwright
- Alfred Chester, novelist
- Benjamin Cohen, journalist
- Nick Denton, founder of Gawker Media
- Joel Derfner, writer and memoirist
- Gabe Dunn, writer, journalist, comedian, and actor
- Elana Dykewomon, American novelist
- Eve Ensler, playwright and performer
- György Faludy, poet
- Leslie Feinberg, activist, author
- Edward Field, poet
- Sanford Friedman, novelist
- Robert Friend, poet
- Masha Gessen, journalist, author, and activist
- Allen Ginsberg, US Beat generation poet
- Richard Greenberg, playwright
- Jacob Israël de Haan, poet
- Marilyn Hacker, poet
- Aaron Hamburger, novelist
- Max Jacob, poet
- Chester Kallman, poet and librettist
- Eva Kotchever, also known as Eve Addams, Polish feminist, writer, owner of the Eve's Hangout in New York, assassinated at Auschwitz
- Larry Kramer, playwright, author, film producer, public health advocate, LGBT rights activist, and founder of ACT UP
- Lisa Kron, playwright and performer
- Tony Kushner, playwright and screenwriter
- Arthur Laurents, playwright, screenwriter and librettist
- David Leavitt, novelist and short-story writer
- Fran Lebowitz, author and public speaker
- Leo Lerman, writer/editor
- Sue-Ann Levy, columnist
- Michael Lowenthal, novelist
- Jay Michaelson, writer, columnist, author of God vs. Gay?
- Herbert Muschamp, New York Times architecture critic
- Joan Nestle, writer, editor and activist, founder of the Lesbian Herstory Archives
- Leslea Newman, children's book author, short story writer, editor
- Harold Norse, poet
- Marcel Proust, novelist
- David Rakoff, essayist
- Adrienne Rich, poet and essayist
- Paul Rudnick, playwright, screenwriter and columnist
- Muriel Rukeyser, poet
- Siegfried Sassoon, poet
- Sarah Schulman, journalist, writer and playwright
- Martin Sherman, playwright
- Andrew Solomon, writer on politics, culture and psychology
- Susan Sontag, essayist and novelist
- Gertrude Stein, writer
- Julian Stryjkowski, novelist
- Bogi Takács, poet
- Paula Vogel, playwright and teacher
- Yona Wallach, poet
Music
- Aderet, singer-songwriter, DJ, producer
- Howard Ashman, playwright and lyricist
- Babydaddy, member of Scissor Sisters
- Jean-Pierre Barda, singer, actor
- Madison Beer, singer, songwriter
- Frieda Belinfante, conductor
- Leonard Bernstein, composer and conductor
- Marc Blitzstein, composer
- Carrie Brownstein, guitarist in Sleater-Kinney
- Barbara Butch, DJ, musician
- Aaron Copland, composer
- Joel Derfner, musical theatre composer
- Brian Epstein, manager of The Beatles
- Michael Feinstein, singer and pianist
- William Finn, musical theatre composer, lyricist and librettist
- Avery Friedman, musician and singer-songwriter
- Ezra Furman, singer-songwriter
- David Geffen, film producer and record executive
- God-Des
- Ari Gold, pop singer
- Lesley Gore, pop singer
- Amir Fryszer Guttman, singer, musician, choreographer, actor, theater director
- Lorenz Hart, lyricist
- Jerry Herman, musical theatre composer and lyricist
- Vladimir Horowitz, classical pianist
- Janis Ian, American songwriter, singer, musician, columnist, and science fiction author
- Dana International, Israeli pop singer
- Rona Kenan, musician
- Dave Koz, jazz saxophonist
- Adam Lambert, singer and runner-up on the 8th season of American Idol
- Ivri Lider, musician, singer
- Lyrik, music producer, singer-songwriter
- Barry Manilow, singer and songwriter
- Doron Medalie, songwriter, composer
- Jon Moss, drummer, member of Culture Club and The Damned
- Offer Nissim, DJ, record producer
- Laura Nyro, singer-songwriter
- Peaches, Canadian electro-punk musician and performance artist
- Phranc, singer-songwriter
- Yehuda Poliker, singer-songwriter, musician, producer, painter
- Yehudit Ravitz, singer-songwriter, composer, record producer
- Marc Shaiman, musical theatre and film composer
- Gil Shohat, music composer, conductor and pianist
- Troye Sivan, South African-born singer and actor
- Harel Skaat, singer-songwriter
- Socalled, rapper
- Stephen Sondheim, musical theatre composer and lyricist
- Hovi Star, singer
- Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, composer, and pianist
- Brandon Uranowitz, stage and television actor
- Yeho, singer, actor
Politics
- Roberta Achtenberg, former HUD assistant secretary and San Francisco city supervisor
- Noah Arbit, Michigan state representative
- Yossi Avni-Levy, diplomat
- Tammy Baldwin, U.S. senator for Wisconsin
- Becca Balint, member of U.S. Congress for Vermont
- Sam Bell, Rhode Island Senate member
- David Cicilline, mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, member of the United States House of Representatives
- Roy Cohn, lawyer and co-counsel to Senator Joseph McCarthy
- Bevan Dufty, former San Francisco city supervisor
- Barney Frank, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives
- Marcia Freedman, former member of the Israeli Knesset
- Raffi Freedman-Gurspan, first transgender person to be LGBT liaison to the White House
- Ron Galperin, city controller of Los Angeles, first openly gay person elected citywide in Los Angeles
- Jackie Goldberg, former California State Assembly member for Los Angeles
- Nitzan Horowitz, Israeli Member of Knesset, first openly gay person elected to the Knesset
- Rebecca Kaplan, city councilmember at-large, Oakland, California
- Ed Koch, former mayor of New York City
- Anne Kronenberg, American political administrator
- Sheila Kuehl, former California state senator for Los Angeles
- Melissa Lantsman, member of parliament for Thornhill, Conservative Party of Canada
- Mark Leno, former California State Assembly member for San Francisco
- Mark Levine, former member of the Virginia House of Delegates
- Rafael Mandelman, San Francisco city supervisor
- Carole Migden, former California state senator for San Francisco
- Harvey Milk, former San Francisco city supervisor, first openly gay person elected to public office in the United States
- Jeremy Moss, Michigan State Senator
- Amir Ohana, first openly gay Israeli minister and Knesset speaker
- Jared Polis, first openly gay man man elected to U.S. Congress and first openly gay governor of Colorado
- Stan Rosenberg, president pro tempore, Massachusetts State Senate
- Elly Schlein, Italian politician, member of Italy's Chamber of Deputies and Secretary of the Democratic Party
- Lynn Schulman, New York City Council member
- Itzik Shmuli, politician
- Barbra Casbar Siperstein, first openly transgender member of the Democratic National Committee
- Scott Wiener, California state senator for San Francisco
Religion
- Rebecca Alpert, lesbian professor in the Departments of Religion and Women's Studies at Temple University
- Lionel Blue, first British rabbi publicly to come out as gay; wrote Godly and Gay
- Deborah Brin, one of the first openly gay rabbis and one of the first hundred women rabbis
- Tadhg Cleary, the first openly gay rabbi ordained by an American Orthodox institution
- Steven Greenberg, first out Orthodox rabbi and staff member of CLAL
- Dario David Hunter, American-Israeli lawyer, rabbi, educator and politician considered the first Muslim-born person to be ordained as a rabbi
- Jason Klein, first openly gay man to head a national rabbinical association of a major US Jewish denominations, when he was chosen as president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association; also the first Hillel director to hold the presidency; as of this election, he is the executive director of Hillel at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a post he has held since 2006; he will be president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association for two years
- Sharon Kleinbaum, first rabbi of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, one of the most influential rabbis in the United States
- Debra Kolodny, openly bisexual American rabbi; edited the first anthology by bisexual people of faith, Blessed Bi Spirit, to which she contributed "Hear, I Pray You, This Dream Which I Have Dreamed," about Jewish identity and bisexuality
- Amichai Lau-Lavie, founder of Storahtelling and Lab-Shul
- Sandra Lawson, became the first openly gay African-American and the first African-American admitted to the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College in 2011; became the first openly gay, female, black rabbi in the world in 2018
- Stacy Offner, openly lesbian American rabbi who accomplished important firsts for women and lesbians in the Jewish community; first openly lesbian rabbi in a traditional congregation; first openly lesbian rabbi hired by a mainstream Jewish congregation; first female rabbi in Minnesota; first rabbi elected chaplain of the Minnesota Senate; first female vice president of the Union for Reform Judaism; first woman to serve on the US national rabbinical pension board
- Toba Spitzer, first openly lesbian or gay person chosen to head a rabbinical association in the United States in 2007, when she was elected president of the Reconstructionist Rabbinical Association
- Abby Stein, transgender activist, former Hasidic Jew
- Margaret Wenig, American rabbi and instructor of liturgy and homiletics at Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion; in 1976, she and Naomi Janowitz published Siddur Nashim, the first Jewish prayer book to refer to God using female pronouns and imagery; in 1990 she wrote the sermon "God Is a Woman and She Is Growing Older
- Sherwin Wine, rabbi and founding figure in Humanistic Judaism
- Ron Yosef, Orthodox rabbi who helped found the Israeli organization Hod, which represents gay and lesbian Orthodox Jews; his organization has played a central part in the recent reevaluation of the role of religious homosexuals in the Israeli Religious Zionist movement
- Reuben Zellman, American teacher, author, and assistant rabbi and music director at Congregation Beth El in Berkeley, California; first openly transgender person accepted to the Reform Jewish seminary Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion in Cincinnati ; ordained by the seminary's Los Angeles campus in 2010
Sports
- Sue Bird, American-Israeli basketball player who has won three WNBA championships, four Olympic gold medals, two NCAA Championships, and four FIBA World Cups
- Robert Dover, six-time Olympic equestrian
- Fredy Hirsch, German Jewish athlete and youth movement leader known for his attempts to save children during the Holocaust
- Gili Mossinson, basketball player
- Tzipora Obziler, tennis player
- Renée Richards, tennis player
Business, industry and labor
- Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI
- Stuart Appelbaum, American trade union leader
- Yotam Ottolenghi, chef
- Joel Simkhai, Grindr founder and former CEO
- Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers
Miscellaneous
- Felice Schragenheim, Jewish resistance fighter and Holocaust victim
- Ari Shapiro, American radio journalist