Relationship between organized religions and LGBT people
The relationship between religion and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people can vary greatly across time and place, within and between different religions and sects, and regarding different forms of homosexuality, bisexuality, non-binary, and transgender identities. More generally, the relationship between religion and sexuality ranges widely among and within them, from giving sex and sexuality a rather negative connotation to believing that sex is the highest expression of the divine.[1]
Liberal and progressive voices within these religions tend to view LGBTQ+ people more positively, and some liberal religious denominations may bless same-sex marriages, as well as accepting and marrying people who are transgender. Historically, some cultures and religions accommodated, institutionalized, revered and/or tolerated same-sex relationships and non-heterosexual identities;[15][18][19][20][21][22] such mythologies and traditions can be found in numerous religions around the world;[23] elements of religious and cultural incorporation of non-heterosexual identities can still be identified in traditions that have survived into the modern era, such as the Berdache,[24]Hijra,[25] and Xanith.[26]
Religious views of LGBT people
According to a 2006 Australian survey, LGBTQ+ Australians, compared to the general Australian population, were much more likely to have no religious affiliation, much less likely to be affiliated with a Christian denomination, and more likely to be affiliated with a non-Christian religion. The distribution of religions that LGBTQ+ Australians were raised in, however, was similar to that of the general population. Men, particularly bisexual men, were more likely to be Christian and more likely to have stayed in the same religion. Lesbian women were more likely to have left the religion they were raised in and be currently unaffiliated.[27]
A 2007 academic research on the beliefs of LGBTQ+ New Zealanders found that 73% had no religious affiliation, 14.8% were Christian, and 2.2% were Buddhist.[28] In contrast, a 2001 census reported that the general New Zealand population reported that 59.8% were Christian and 29.2% had no religious affiliation.[28] When looking at change since 1966, LGBTQ+ people are disaffiliating from Christianity at a rate 2.37 times higher compared to the rate of the general population in New Zealand.[28] In the survey, 59.8% of New Zealanders reported a belief in a spiritual force, god, or gods; this differed significantly by gender, with 64.9% of women and 55.5% of men reporting such a belief.[28]
The Radical Faeries are a worldwide queerspiritual movement, founded in 1979 in the United States. Radical Faerie communities are generally inspired by aboriginal, native, or traditional spiritualities, especially those that incorporate queer sensibilities. A Williams Institute Survey found that the majority of LGBT Americans were raised Christian and mostly Protestant.[29]
Opposition to same-sex marriage and LGBT rights is often associated with conservative religious views. The American Family Association and other religious groups have promoted boycotts of corporations whose policies support the LGBT community.
Lesbians and gay men face particular problems in conservative Islamic nations where laws generally prohibit same-sex sexual behavior; where interpretation of Sharia Law on male homosexuality carries the death penalty, with this form of discrimination being viewed as a breach of human rights by international human rights experts and human rights organisations such as Amnesty International.
With the signature of the US in 2009, the proposed UN declaration on LGBT rights has now been signed by 67 members of the United Nations. There was an opposing statement put forward by Muslim nations, and this has been signed by 57 member states, the majority being in Africa and Asia. 68 out of the total 192 countries have not yet signed either statement.
Throughout the majority of Christian history, most Christian theologians and denominations have considered homosexual behavior as immoral or sinful.[8][41] Currently, Christian denominations have a variety of beliefs about LGBT people, and the moral status of same-sex sexual practices and gender variance. LGBT people may be barred from membership, accepted as laity, or ordained as clergy, depending on the denomination.
In the Jehovah's witness branch of Christianity, LGBTQ is seen as something to be shamed. Within a study of 245 Jehovah's witnesses, 76% agreed that LGBTQ practices should be discouraged, while only 16% thought these ideas should be encouraged.[49] The remaining 8% seemed to have no opinion or were neutral on the situation. Another study was conducted on Jehovah's witnesses with a range of ages from 18 to 29, 30–49, 50–64,65+. The majority of those who were against LGBTQ practices came from the 30–49 age range, with the percentage being 34%.[49] Jehovah's witnesses can be 'disfellowshipped,' leading to ostracism from former support and social groups. 'Disfellowshipping' can occur if sin is committed that is seen as weighty and is not repented for.[50] Homosexual or LGBTQ practices would fall under the category of a sin which could lead to disfellowshipping. Within a survey of 187 Jehovah's witnesses, 90% strongly opposed same-sex marriage and would classify it as something against their religion.[49]
Unitarian Universalism and the Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA) have a long-standing tradition of welcoming LGBT people. The first ordained minister of any religion in the US or Canada to come out was the Rev. James Stoll in 1969.[56] There have been UUA resolutions supporting people regardless of sexual orientation since 1970, and a popular program of becoming a "Welcoming Congregation" since 1989. The UUA has officially supported UUA clergy performing Services of Union between same-sex couples since 1984,[57] and has supported same-sex marriage since 1996.[58]
The Canadian Unitarian Council (CUC) similarly operates a Gender and Sexual Diversity Monitoring Group[59] and, like the UUA (of which it became autonomous in 2002), has Welcoming Congregations.[60] The Canadian Unitarian Universalist congregations perform same-sex marriages and the CUC supports this work through its Lay Chaplaincy program.[61]
The American branch of Conservative Judaism formally approves of same-sex marriage ceremonies.[62] As of 1992 with the Report of the Reconstructionist Commission on Homosexuality, the Reconstructionist Movement of Judaism has expressed its support for same-sex marriages as well as the inclusion of gay and lesbian people in all aspects of Jewish life. The Jewish Reconstructionist Federation leaves the choice of whether or not to perform same-sex marriages to individual rabbis but the procedure is included in the Reconstructionist Rabbi's Manual and many choose to use the traditional language and symbols of kiddushin.[63][64] Reform Judaism, the largest Jewish denomination in the United States, is generally supportive of LGBT rights and marriage.[65][66]
Attitudes towards LGBTQ+ people and their experiences in the Muslim world have been influenced by its religious, legal, social, political, and cultural history.[9][15][18][19][20] The religious stigma and sexual taboo associated with homosexuality in Islamic societies can have profound effects for those Muslims who self-identify as LGBTQ+.[9][13][67][68] Today, most LGBTQ-affirming Islamic organizations and individual congregations are primarily based in the Western world and South Asian countries; they usually identify themselves with the liberal and progressive movements within Islam.[9][69][70]
Homosexual acts are forbidden in traditional Islamic jurisprudence and they are liable to different punishments, including flogging, stoning, and the death penalty,[13][19][15] depending on the situation and legal school.[13] However, homosexual relationships were generally tolerated in pre-modern Islamic societies,[19][20][15] and historical records suggest that these laws were invoked infrequently, mainly in cases of rape or other "exceptionally blatant infringement on public morals".[15] Public attitudes toward homosexuality in the Muslim world underwent a marked negative change starting from the 19th century through the global spread of Islamic fundamentalist movements such as Salafism and Wahhabism,[13] and the influence of the sexual notions and restrictive norms prevalent in Europe at the time: a number of Muslim-majority countries have retained criminal penalties for homosexual acts enacted under European colonial rule.[13]
Because homosexuality is illegal in Iran but being transgender is legal, some gay individuals have been forced to undergo sex reassignment surgery and transition into the opposite sex, regardless of their actual gender identity.[73] Therefore, transgender people are generally more accepted, provided they conform to traditional gender norms post-transition; for example, the Iranian government not only allows and recognizes sex reassignment surgery, but also subsidizes the procedure for transgender citizens.[74] In some regions of South Asia such as India, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, the hijras are officially recognized as a third gender that is neither male nor female,[75] a concept that some have compared to mukhannathun.[71]
In France there was an Islamic same-sex marriage on 18 February 2012.[76] In Paris in November 2012 a room in a Buddhist prayer hall was used by gay Muslims and called a "gay-friendly mosque",[77] and a French Islamic website[78] is supporting religious same-sex marriage. The Ibn Ruschd-Goethe mosque in Berlin is a liberal mosque open to all types of Muslims, where men and women pray together and LGBT worshippers are welcomed and supported.[79] Other significant LGBT-inclusive mosques or prayer groups include the El-Tawhid Juma Circle Unity Mosque in Toronto,[80][81][82] Masjid an-Nur al-Isslaah (Light of Reform Mosque) in Washington D.C.,[83][84] Masjid Al-Rabia in Chicago,[85][84][86] Unity Mosque in Atlanta,[87][88] People's Mosque in Cape Town South Africa,[89][90] Masjid Ul-Umam mosque in Cape Town,[91] Qal'bu Maryamin in California,[92][93] and the Nur Ashki Jerrahi Sufi Community in New York City.[94][95]
Muslims for Progressive Values, based in the United States and Malaysia, is "a faith-based, grassroots, human rights organization that embodies and advocates for the traditional Qur'anic values of social justice and equality for all, for the 21st Century."[96][97] MPV has recorded "a lecture series that seeks to dismantle the religious justification for homophobia in Muslim communities." The lectures can be viewed at MPV Lecture Series.[98] The Mecca Institute is an LGBT-inclusive and progressive online Islamic seminary, and serves as an online center of Islamic learning and research.[84][99]
The Baháʼí Faith teaches that the only acceptable form of sexual expression is within marriage, and Baháʼí marriage is defined in the religion's texts as exclusively between one man and one woman.[100][101] Baháʼís stress the importance of absolute chastity for any unmarried person,[102] and focus on personal restraint. The Universal House of Justice, the elected governing body of the Baháʼí Faith, has stated that "the Faith does not recognize homosexuality as a 'natural' or permanent phenomenon."[103] The Universal House of Justice has approved of and encouraged Shoghi Effendi's idea of possible medical treatment.[104]
However, membership in the Baháʼí community is open to lesbian and gay adherents,[105] who are to be "advised and sympathized with".[106][107][108]
Hinduism has taken various positions, ranging from positive to neutral or antagonistic. Referring to the nature of samsara, the Rigveda, one of the four canonical sacred texts of Hinduism says 'Vikruti Evam Prakriti' (perversity/diversity is what nature is all about, or, what seems un-natural is also natural), which some scholars believe recognizes homosexuality as natural, if not an approval of homosexuality.[109] Sexuality is rarely discussed openly in Hindu society, and LGBT issues are largely a taboo subject — especially among the strongly religious. A "third gender" has been acknowledged within Hinduism since Vedic times. Several Hindu texts, such as Manu Smriti[110] and Sushruta Samhita, assert that some people are born with either mixed male and female natures, or sexually neuter, as a matter of natural biology. They worked as hairdressers, flower-sellers, servants, masseurs and prostitutes. Today, many people that identify as hijras are officially recognized as a third gender that is neither male nor female in India;[75] they mostly live on the margins of society, and many still work in prostitution, or make a livelihood as beggars.[111]
Several Hindu religious laws contain injunctions against homosexual activity, while some Hindu mythologies speaks favorably of lesbian relations and some third-gendered individuals were highly regarded by Hindu legends. Hindu groups are historically not unified regarding the issue of homosexuality, each one having a distinct doctrinal view.[112][113][114]
A damsel who pollutes (another) damsel must be fined two hundred (panas), pay the double of her (nuptial) fee, and receive ten (lashes with a) rod.
The Indian Kama Sutra, written in the 4th century CE, contains passages describing eunuchs or "third-sex" males performing oral sex on men.[116] However, the author was "not a fan of homosexual activities" and treated such individuals with disdain, according to historian Devdutt Pattanaik.[117] Similarly, some medieval Hindu temples and artifacts openly depict both male homosexuality and lesbianism within their carvings, such as the temple walls at Khajuraho. Some infer from these images that Hindu society and religion were previously more open to variations in human sexuality than they are at present.
In some Hindu sects (specially among the hijras), many divinities are androgynous. There are Hindu deities who are intersex (both male and female); who manifest in all three genders; who switch from male to female or from female to male; male deities with female moods and female deities with male moods; deities born from two males or from two females; deities born from a single male or single female; deities who avoid the opposite sex; deities with principal companions of the same sex, and so on. However, this is not accepted by the majority of Hindus, and is often considered heretical in nature. Those who do accept it justify with the belief that both God and nature are unlimitedly diverse and God is difficult to comprehend.
Several Hindu priests have performed same-sex marriages, arguing that love is the result of attachments from previous births and that marriage, as a union of spirit, is transcendental to gender. It is often regarded that Hinduism does not condemn homosexuality.
Views on homosexuality and LGBT rights differ in the Buddhist tradition. However, many Buddhist leaders and groups have been historically supportive and continue to be supportive of LGBT people.[121][122][123][124] The renowned Thiền Buddhist master, Thích Nhất Hạnh, remarked that the spirit of Buddhism is inclusiveness and stated that "when you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of waves, many sizes and shapes, but all the waves have water as their foundation and substance. If you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we share the same ground of being."[125][126]
In 1997, the 14th Dalai Lama Tenzin Gyatso declared: "From a Buddhist point of view, men-to-men and women-to-women is generally considered sexual misconduct."[137] However, this view expressed by the Dalai Lama is not based on the teachings of Gautama Buddha but derived from some later Abhidharma texts.[138] Moreover, the Dalai Lama has repeatedly "voiced his support for the full recognition of human rights for all people, regardless of sexual orientation."[139] In the most recent interview with the Dalai Lama on this topic (10 March 2014), the Dalai Lama said gay marriage is "OK", provided it's not in contradiction with the values of one's chosen religion.[140][141] Also in the Tibetan tradition, the Nalandabodhisangha has stated that they are welcoming of all sexual orientations and well-known Bhutanese lama Khyentse Norbu has expressed support for LGBT rights in Bhutan.[142]
In Western Buddhist denominations, there is widescale support for LGBT rights from Buddhist groups and organizations, including the European Buddhist Union,[143] the Buddhist Churches of America,[144][145][146] many Shin Buddhist groups,[147] and Zen leaders such as Thích Nhất Hạnh.[148][149] The Federation of Australian Buddhist Councils (FABC), representing Buddhist laypeople, and the Australian Sangha Association vocally supported same-sex marriage in Australia.[150] Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) is the most diverse Buddhist community in the United States with more than 500 chapters and some 100 centers throughout the country supports LGBT rights.[151] American Soka Gakkai Buddhists have performed same-sex union ceremonies since the 1990s.[152] In a Pew Research poll, 88% of American Buddhists stated that homosexuality should be accepted.[153] This was a higher level of support than any other religious group studied.[153]
The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, does not explicitly mention homosexuality. The Guru Granth Sahib is seen as the spiritual authority on all Sikh matters.
Some modern Sikh leaders have condemned homosexuality. Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti of the temporal Sikh authority (Akal Takht), has condemned homosexuality while reminding visiting Sikh-Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) of their religious duty to oppose same-sex marriage.[154] The Sikh religious body, the Akal Takht, has issued an edict condemning gay marriage.[155]
Other Sikhs point out that Sikhism does not condemn homosexuality or gay marriage[156] reminding them that the Guru Granth Sahib leaves this as a matter of personal conscience.[157]
Tu'er Shen, also known as the Rabbit God, is a gay Chinese deity. In 2006, Lu Wei-ming founded a temple for Tu'er Shen in Yonghe District in the New Taipei City in Taiwan,[158] which has been called the world's only religious shrine for gay people.[159] About 9,000 pilgrims visit the temple each year praying to find a suitable partner.[160] The Wei-ming temple also performs love ceremonies for gay couples.[161]
Historically, the Shinto "had no special code of morals and seems to have regarded sex as a natural phenomenon to be enjoyed with few inhibitions."[162] While Shinto beliefs are diverse, Shinto doesn't condemn homosexuality,[162] and the formally organized Konkokyo sect is fully affirming.[163][164][165] Multiple Shinto leaders advocated in support of gay marriage in Hawaii.[166]
Homosexuality is religiously acceptable in Haitian Vodou.[167][168][169] The lwa or loa (spirits) Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda are often associated with and viewed as protectors of queer people.[170][171]
Within Candomblé, a syncretic religion primarily found in Brazil, there is widespread (though not universal) support for gay rights, many members are LGBT, and have performed gay marriages.[172][173][174][175] Practitioners of Santería, primarily found in Cuba, generally (though not universally) welcome LGBT members and include them in religious or ritual activities.[176][177] Also a Brazilian syncretic religion, Umbanda houses generally support LGBT rights and have performed gay marriages.[178][174][175][179] Homosexuality is religiously acceptable in Haitian Vodou.[167][168][169] The lwa or loa (spirits) Erzulie Dantor and Erzulie Freda are often associated with and viewed as protectors of queer people.[170][171] The lao Ghede Nibo is sometimes depicted as an effeminate drag queen and inspires those he inhabits to lascivious sexuality of all kinds.[180][181]
Individuals who went against the traditional gender binary were heavily involved in the cult of Inanna, an ancient Mesopotamian goddess.[182][183] During Sumerian times, a set of priests known as gala worked in Inanna's temples, where they performed elegies and lamentations.[182] Men who became gala sometimes adopted female names and their songs were composed in the Sumerian eme-sal dialect, which, in literary texts, is normally reserved for the speech of female characters. Some Sumerian proverbs seem to suggest that gala had a reputation for engaging in anal sex with men.[184] During the Akkadian Period, kurgarrū and assinnu were servants of Ishtar who dressed in female clothing and performed war dances in Ishtar's temples.[184] Several Akkadian proverbs seem to suggest that they may have also had homosexual proclivities.[184] Gwendolyn Leick, an anthropologist known for her writings on Mesopotamia, has compared these individuals to the contemporary Indian hijra.[182] In one Akkadian hymn, Ishtar is described as transforming men into women.[184] Some modern pagans include Inanna in their worship.[185]
Most Neopagan religions have the theme of fertility (both physical and creative/spiritual) as central to their practices, and as such encourage what they view as a healthy sex life, consensual sex between adults, regardless of gender.
Heathenry, a modern Germanic Pagan movement, includes several pro-LGBT groups. Some groups legitimize openness toward LGBT practitioners by reference to the gender-bending actions of Thor and Odin in Norse mythology.[194][195] There are, for instance, homosexual and transgender members of The Troth, a prominent U.S. Heathen organisation.[196] Many Heathen groups in Northern Europe perform same-sex marriages,[197] and a group of self-described "Homo-Heathens" marched in the 2008 Stockholm Pride carrying a statue of the Norse god Freyr.[198] Research found a greater proportion of LGBT practitioners within Heathenry (21%) than wider society, although noted that the percentage was lower than in other forms of modern Paganism.[199]
Wicca, like other religions, has adherents with a broad spectrum of views, ranging from conservative to liberal. It is a largely nondogmatic religion and has no prohibitions against sexual intercourse outside of marriage or relationships between members of the same sex. The religion's ethics are largely summed up by the Wiccan Rede: "An it harm none, do as thou wilt", which is interpreted by many as allowing and endorsing responsible sexual relationships of all varieties. Specifically in the Wiccan tradition of modern witchcraft, one of the widely accepted pieces of Craft liturgy, the Charge of the Goddess instructs that "...all acts of love and pleasure are [the Goddess'] rituals",[200] giving validity to all forms of sexual activity for Wiccan practitioners.
In the Gardnerian and Alexandrian forms of Wicca, the "Great Rite" is a sex ritual much like the hieros gamos, performed by a priest and priestess who are believed to embody the Wiccan God and Goddess. The Great Rite is almost always performed figuratively using the athame and chalice as symbols of the penis and vagina. The literal form of the ritual is always performed by consenting adults, by a couple who are already lovers and in private. The Great Rite is not seen as an opportunity for casual sex.[201]
The Church of Satan has always accepted gays, lesbians and bisexuals since its foundation in 1966.[223] The church supports legalization of same-sex marriages.[223]
^ abCampbell, Marianne; Hinton, Jordan D. X.; Anderson, Joel R. (February 2019). "A systematic review of the relationship between religion and attitudes toward transgender and gender-variant people". International Journal of Transgenderism. 20 (1). Taylor & Francis: 21–38. doi:10.1080/15532739.2018.1545149. ISSN1553-2739. LCCN2004213389. OCLC56795128. PMC6830999. PMID32999592. S2CID151069171. Many religions are based on teachings of peace, love, and tolerance, and thus, at least based on those specific teachings, these religions promote intergroup pro-sociality. However, evidence from studies of religion and social attitudes have paradoxically revealed that religion is typically a predictor of intergroup anti-sociality, or in other words religion tends to predict most forms of prejudice. When conceptualizing religion in terms of self-reported categorical religious affiliation (i.e., Christian, Muslim, Jewish, etc.), religiously affiliated individuals tend to report more negative attitudes against a variety of social outgroups than individuals who are not religiously affiliated. [...] In addition, most Abrahamic religions (e.g., Judaism, Christianity, and Islam) contain dogmas in which their respective deity create mankind with individuals who are perfectly entrenched in the gender binary (e.g., Adam and Eve), and thus religions might be instilling cisgender normativity into individuals who ascribe to their doctrines.
^ abGraham, Philip (2017). "Male Sexuality and Pornography". Men and Sex: A Sexual Script Approach. Cambridge and New York: Cambridge University Press. pp. 250–251. doi:10.1017/9781316874998.013. ISBN9781107183933. LCCN2017004137. Patriarchal beliefs assert the "natural" superiority of men with a right to leadership in family and public life. Such beliefs derive particularly from Abrahamic religions. Patriarchal attitudes relating to sexual behaviour are mixed and inconsistent. They include, on one hand, the idea that as part of their natural inferiority, women are less in control of their sex drives and are therefore essentially lustful, with a constant craving for sex. This belief leads to the rape myth – even when women resist sexual advances they are using it merely as a seductive device. On the other hand, patriarchal beliefs also dictate that women, in contrast to men, are naturally submissive and have little interest in sex, so men have a "natural" right to sexual intercourse whether women want it or not.
^ abSiraj, Asifa (September 2012). ""I Don't Want to Taint the Name of Islam": The Influence of Religion on the Lives of Muslim Lesbians". Journal of Lesbian Studies. 16 (4: Lesbians, Sexuality, and Islam). Taylor & Francis: 449–467. doi:10.1080/10894160.2012.681268. PMID22978285. S2CID22066812.
^Wikan, Unni (September 1978). "The Omani Xanith: A Third Gender Role?". Man. New Series. 13 (3): 473–475.
^Couch, Murray; Hunter Mulcare, Marian Pitts, Anthony Smith and Anne Mitchell (April 2008). "The religious affiliation of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and intersex Australians: a report from the Private Lives survey". People and Place. 16 (1).{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ abcdHenrickson, Mark (September 2008). "Lavender Faith: Religion, Spirituality and Identity in Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual New Zealanders". Journal of Religion & Spirituality in Social Work: Social Thought. 26 (3). Taylor & Francis: 63–80. doi:10.1300/J377v26n03_04. S2CID146933867.
^Koenig, Harold G.; Dykman, Jackson (2012). Religion and Spirituality in Psychiatry. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 43. ISBN9780521889520. the overwhelming majority of Christian churches have maintained their positions that homosexual behavior is sinful
^"Baháʼí law restricts permissible sexual intercourse to that between a man and the woman to whom he is married."
(Letter from the Universal House of Justice to an individual; Lights of Guidance, pp. 365, #1225) [1]
^"...according to the Baháʼí Teachings no sexual act can be considered lawful unless performed between lawfully married persons. Outside of marital life there can be no lawful or healthy use of the sex impulse."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual; Lights of Guidance, pp. 364, #1220) [2]
^"…the Faith does not recognize homosexuality as a "natural" or permanent phenomenon. Rather, it sees this as an aberration subject to treatment, however intractable exclusive homosexuality may now seem to be. To the question of alteration of homosexual bents, much study must be given, and doubtless in the future clear principles of prevention and treatment will emerge. As for those now afflicted, a homosexual does not decide to be a problem human, but he does, as you rightly state, have decision in choosing his way of life, i.e. abstaining from homosexual acts.
"Your plea for understanding and of justice extended to homosexuals is well taken in many respects, and the House of Justice assures you of its concern for the large number of persons so afflicted. Your work with the homosexual community is praiseworthy, and it permits you personally to exercise the support which is necessary for these often harassed persons, support which you call for in your essay. Moreover, your interest cannot but be therapeutic, at least for the more superficial elements of the problem; however, definitive therapy of the underlying predisposition, which you consider to be innate but the Teachings do not, may have to await additional investigations. As for the responsibility of Assemblies and of individual Baháʼís, certainly all are called upon to be understanding, supportive and helpful to any individual who carries the burden of homosexuality."
(Letter written on behalf of the Universal House of Justice to an individual, 22 March 1987)
^(Letter of The Universal House of Justice, 5 June 1993, Homosexuality, p. 7)
^"They (homosexuals) should be treated just like any other people seeking admittance to the Faith, and be accepted on the same basis. Our teachings, as outlined in "The Advent of Divine Justice" on the subject of living a chaste life, should be emphasized to them just as to every other applicant, but certainly no ruling whatsoever should be laid down in this matter. The Baháʼís have certainly not yet reached that stage of moral perfection where they are in a position to too harshly scrutinize the private lives of other souls, and each individual should be accepted on the basis of his faith, and sincere willingness to try to live up to the Divine standards"
(Compiled by the Universal House of Justice Research Department, Homosexuality, p. 3) [3]
^"Amongst the many other evils afflicting society in this spiritual low water mark in history is the question of immorality, and over-emphasis of sex. Homosexuality, according to the Writings of Bahá'u'lláh, is spiritually condemned. This does not mean that people so afflicted must not be helped and advised and sympathized with."
(On behalf of Shoghi Effendi to an individual, 21 May 1954; Lights of Guidance, p. 365, #1221) [4]
^"As for the responsibility of Assemblies and of individual Baháʼís, certainly all are called upon to be understanding, supportive and helpful to any individual who carries the burden of homosexuality."
(Compiled by Universal House of Justice Research Department, Homosexuality, p. 7) [5]
^"When an individual becomes a Baháʼí, he or she accepts the claim of Bahá'u'lláh to be the Manifestation of God bringing a divinely-inspired message from God for the benefit of mankind. Implicit in the acceptance of this claim is the commitment of the believer to embark on the lifelong process of endeavouring to implement the teachings on personal conduct. Through sincere and sustained effort, energized by faith in the validity of the Divine Message, and combined with patience with oneself and the loving support of the Baháʼí community, individuals are able to effect a change in their behaviour; as a consequence of this effort they partake of spiritual benefits which liberate them and which bestow a true happiness beyond description.
As you know, Bahá'u'lláh has clearly forbidden the expression of sexual love between individuals of the same sex. However, the doors are open for all of humanity to enter the Cause of God, irrespective of their present circumstance; this invitation applies to homosexuals as well as to any others who are engaged in practices contrary to the Baháʼí teachings. Associated with this invitation is the expectation that all believers will make a sincere and persistent effort to eradicate those aspects of their conduct which are not in conformity with Divine Law.
(Compiled by Universal House of Justice Research Department, Homosexuality, p. 11) [6]
^Pattanaik, Devdutt (2001). Homosexuality in Ancient India, Debonair 2000 or 2001. Essay available onlineArchived 22 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine from GayBombay.org.
^"Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta" [To Cunda the Silversmith]. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Access to Insight. 1997. AN 10.176. Retrieved 14 March 2011. Abandoning sensual misconduct, he abstains from sensual misconduct. He does not get sexually involved with those who are protected by their mothers, their fathers, their brothers, their sisters, their relatives, or their Dhamma; those with husbands, those who entail punishments, or even those crowned with flowers by another man{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
^優婆塞經Archived 18 February 2017 at the Wayback Machine(Upāsaka Sutra from Madhyam āgama):復次,舍梨子!白衣聖弟子離邪婬、斷邪婬,彼或有父所護,或母所護,或父母所護,或兄弟所護,或姉妹所護,或婦父母所護,或親親所護,或同姓所護,或為他婦女,有鞭罰恐怖,及有名雇債至華鬘親,不犯如是女。彼於邪淫淨除其心,白衣聖弟子善護行,此第三法
Ajahn Punnadhammo. "Same Sex Marriage". The lay man is told to abstain from sex with "unsuitable partners" defined as girls under age, women betrothed or married and women who have taken vows of religious celibacy. This is clear, sound advice and seems to suggest that sexual misconduct is that which would disrupt existing family or love relationships. This is consonant with the general Buddhist principle that that which causes suffering for oneself or others is unethical behaviour. ("Unskillful behaviour" would be closer to the original.) There is no good reason to assume that homosexual relations which do not violate this principle should be treated differently.
^Thubten Chodron. Dealing With Life's Issues(PDF). The Pali scriptures make no mention of homosexuality being unwise sexual conduct. For monastics, all sexual intercourse is a root downfall. It doesn't specify the gender of one's partner. Vasubandhu, a teacher who came several centuries after the Buddha, discouraged homosexuality. Personally speaking, I think what's most important is the motivation behind how we use our sexuality. In other words, if people use their sexuality unkindly or unwisely, it doesn't matter if it is directed to someone of their own sex or the opposite sex.
^Martin Regg Cohn, Reject gay bill, Sikh MPs told; Warning from top religious authority says marriage backers will be shunned,Toronto Star, Toronto, 28 March 2005, p. A.1.
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