Is American Hinduism gay friendly?

[BayCityProgressive]

I was wondering if there were any Hindus here who could tell me if the religion is gay friendly in the West. I am a spiritual person but belong to no certain religion. I sometimes attend a Unitarian church and a Liberal Jewish Synagogue in my area and was thinking of visiting the Hindu Temple to learn more about the religion. Before I go I wanted to find out what American Hindus stance on homosexuality is.

[Botany]

1. I don't see a lot of Gay Unitarian Jewish Hindus

Hope it works out for you.

[dave_p]

2. (from a non-Hindu)

My guess is that it would depend on the Temple, as there's no central authority for the faith and hence many traditions and schools varying from right-wing Hindu nationalist to strongly liberal.

Homosexuality seems to be viewed in Hindu scripture as mildly deviant and in subsequent interpretation as mildly sinful, but without the harsh punishments of Judeo-Christian scripture; rather it seems to involve loss of spiritual status which must be recovered by personal ceremonial atonement.

Absurdly, homosexuality's still illegal in India. But Hindus didn't do that, the British did it in 1860 when they were fresh from suppressing the 1857 Uprising and determined to stamp their mores on the country. Britain got rid of that law in 1967, and a growing number of Indians want to do likewise.

So I'd urge finding what kind of Temple and community it is. You may find them judgmental and uncomprending, but in most western communities it seems not to be a matter occasioning bitter hatred.

[Sapphocrat]

3. Depends on the sect, of course...

...so if you're thinking of visiting a specific temple, you might want to ask them first.

In the meantime, I came across a long discussion that may interest you (popups galore on the first click, but worth the read):

http://www.hindunet.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=&Number=34954&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

If you want to find a gay-friendly temple, you might want to ask the good people at Trikone for advice; it's really for South Asian LGBTs, but it's one place to start: http://www.trikone.org/

There's a lot I love about Brahmanism myself. I'm no yogini, but I do cherry-pick a lot from Hindu practice. :)

[ConsAreLiars]

4. Hinduism is a million different belief systems

There is much in common, and much all of us can learn from the teachings, but like any "ism" it includes a wide range of attitudes on all subjects. See, for example, "Christians" for a more familiar "ism" and see the range there, even though they are all presumably tightly bound by one single book while Hindu teachings are elaborated in scores of volumes. So you'll need to check out the various temples in your region to see how they view this issue. An interesting site I came across has this kind of exchange, which I think is consistent with how I (non-Hindu but spent some good time in India) would expect to see this question handled:

From http://www.galva108.org/perspectives1.html
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Q – Could you tell me exactly what Hinduism’s view is on sexuality and things such as homosexuality and the concept of an Indian woman being covered from head to toe? I read that ancient India was sexually liberated as the Kama Sutra and the Khajuraho temple illustrate but modern Indian society is extremely conservative and any kind of sex talk is taboo. Being an Indian-American teenager, it’s very confusing to me. Can you explain what our religion says about these issues?

A – Hindu religious scripture clearly mandates that for sexual relationships to be spiritually progressive they must be tied to commitment, generally in the form of sacred vows of marriage. The spirit behind this policy is that the sexual urge, which animates the world, must be regulated if it is to be transcended.

Hindu scripture is largely silent on homosexuality, although it may be acknowledged in books such as the Kama-sutra, but not with regard to spiritual progress. Modern Hinduism for the most part condemns homosexuality but misunderstands it to be an improper choice rather than psychophysical reality that some people are born with, rendering them as attracted to the same sex, as heterosexuals are attracted to the opposite sex. As modern society has come to better understand this phenomenon, it is also imperative that Hindu traditions do the same if they are to remain vital.

A dynamic approach in doing so might involve encouraging homosexuals to also establish committed relationships in an effort to help them transcend sexuality altogether, as is done in the case of heterosexuals. Of course, such relationships would not include raising children, which is a significant consequence, if not deterrent, to continue sexuality. However, committed homosexual relationships may provide other impetuses for spirituality such as more time for spiritual practice and seva to compensate for this.

Although my Guru Maharaja frowned on homosexuality in general, he was also very practical, flexible, and compassionate. One of his earliest disciples was a gay man who once related how he had ultimately discussed his sexual orientation with Srila Prabhupada. He said that at that point Srila Prabhupada said, ‘Then just find a nice boy, stay with him and practice Krsna consciousness.’

I also had the experience of meeting a transsexual who explained her sexual orientation and confusion to Srila Prabhupada before committing to an operation. She told me that Prabhupada told her, “Just pick one or the other and stick with it.” Those who knew him well would have expected him to say something like this in both of these incidences. Again, he was very flexible and compassionate.

I believe that Hinduism originally held a much more broadminded view on sexuality than many of its expressions do today. Over the years Muslim and Victorian standards have had some influence on socio-religious aspects of Hinduism, examples of which are the covering of a woman’s body from head to toe.
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[JI7]

5. Hinduism is kind of different

in America the Hindu temples are often based on the part of India people came from. so it's more of a cultural thing in that way rather than based on specific beliefs.

and then there are some different sects like hare krishnas, swaminarayans(sp?) and others. i'm not sure in what way they are different though.

temples are also often based on the God they might focus on.

as for American Hindus i think the question of whether they are tolerant has more to do with their overall political views rather than their religion. some might be anti gay but it's more about their cultural and background and conservative views rather than because of religious reasoning. and of course there is the opposite .

i'm not sure you will get much out of attending a Hindu Temple. at least not about the religion. of all the times i have attended i never learned anything. it took just reading a college text book on religion and other similar things to learn about it.

for many hindus attending temple is more about socializing rather than personal religious fullfillment.

[JCMach1]

6. Indians in general are rather conservative about sex and family issues

I will give you an example... There are many gay Indians here in the UAE. However, many/most are married. There are not many open gays in Indian society.

Having said that, it would probably depend on the temple.

Unitarians are very accepting. Plus, you would be free to explore whatever beliefs you like...

[BoneDaddy]

7. I work in a very

multicultural school....85 different languages taught in the district. I work with many Hindu students and for the most part there is no active gay/lesbian movement among them. There is still a very strong stigma against it.

[Hatalles]

8. You know...

... I really think it depends on the type of Hindu you meet. Obviously, one Hindu's interpretation of his/her religion may be more gay-friendly than anothers. The same is the case for any other religion.

[fujiyama]

9. It's difficult to really say

Unlike Christianity and Islam which have strong scriptural text condemning homosexuality, Hinduism barely even mentions it. Hinduism is also very difficult to consider as a single belief system. It's just too vast and has been through so many changes. It also has no set body or clear authority figures. There are priests, and it would be safe to assume they wouldn't be too fond of homosexual relationships and are socially conservative.

India is somewhat repressed sexually and certain topics are taboo there. Most people there are raised in the prevailing traditional culture, and even if a man or woman is homosexual, they will likely not come out, and most gays and lesbians will likely get married and have children anyways. Also, it's worth keeping in mind that many are also in arranged marriages, so premarital relationships (let alone open gay relationships) aren't too common. However, times change and gays and lesbians are starting to come out and become more active and make progress, especially in urban areas. I believe some cities there even have gay pride events, quite unlike the Islamic and communist dictatorships surrounding it.

And as far as I know, even though homosexuality may be considered "illegal", I doubt it's really enforced in any way in most areas...I don't believe there are any penalties for it, but many local police officials are corrupt and I'm sure harrasement of gays occurs.

All in all, India has a long way to go with regards to gay rights. It's not nearly as good as they are in W. European countries or even some E. Asian countries (like Taiwan and a few others), but it's certainly better than Iran, Pakistan, or other Islamic countries.