What disqualifies a person from being a witness for a chupah?
Answer:
The main disqualifications are family ties: One must be careful to appoint witnesses that are not family members with the bride or groom.
Other disqualifications are if the witness involved is a known “trangressor,” meaning somebody who flaunts Torah law, and is not repentant of it. Actually disqualifying a witness is not a simple matter (see Pischei Teshuva to Even Ha-Ezer 42:5), but one should preferable seek out witnesses who are G-d-fearing and righteous (insofar as we can estimate).
so ‘sexual orientation’ is not a disqualifier? or of someone has totally left the torah path and is no longer shomer mitzvot [but used to be]?
Totally leaving the Torah lifestyle, so that it’s well known that he transgresses Torah prohibitions, would be a disqualification. So would a well-known sexual orientation.
I think Rabbi Pfeffer means that sexual orientation is a factor and is limited to men.
I am sure he doesn’t mean that women can qualify as a witness at a chuppah.
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