Will Steinman
Dr. Gittinger
GC2Y – 2000
9 December 2018
Homosexuality and Transgenderism in South Asian Religions
In this essay, I will discuss the attitudes towards homosexuality and transgenderism in the many religions practiced in South Asia. I will go into the acceptance or rejection of the two practices and attempt to support the attitudes with the religion’s text or teachings. These religions usually follow a strict set of guidelines, that have been set in place for thousands of years. Homosexuality and transgenderism have been a common topic in the news in recent years, whether it be for or against, the knowledge of this topic has grown immensely. Today, many reforms and changes are happening to long-standing practices. This is a heavily debated topic because people argue that everyone should have a choice and should be treated equal, whether they are a different race, or are homosexual or transgender. Being transgender or homosexual is often left a secret to family and friends because that they are scared of being treated differently, or even disowned. A huge factor to this fear is which religion they have grown up practicing.
While this may be a huge debate with many religions, Hinduism’s beliefs are very up in the air and are more accepting than most. In Hinduism’s sacred texts, there is no distinction between heterosexual and homosexual acts. Their texts do not elaborate on the wrongs or rights of these acts, but they do elaborate on procreative, which means within a marriage, sexual acts, and non-procreative sexual acts. So, there is no overarching reason or rule that Hindus should reject homosexuals or transgenders. There are even stories that accept homosexuals and who they are, or where someone turns into a different sex in rebirth due to their desires of the same sex. In “Same-Sex Love in India”, there is a story told based on two boys who grew up together and were destined to marry. The text later says, “They are not punished but ultimately rewarded with marital bliss” (Kidwai 72). In Hinduism, one becomes what one desires and fulfillment of all desires may be seen as a necessary step to attaining liberation. So, according to this text homosexuals do themselves an act of service by acting on their desires instead of hiding them. While it may be surprising, transgenders actually play a role in Hinduism. There are a special group of transgenders called hijras, and they are a very important part in some rituals and art. Hijras are a social group, not necessarily a caste, who define themselves as neither man nor woman, but in reality, they are men who dress as women and behave as women do and they even go as far as removing the male genitals. Hijras have been officially recognized as the third gender in many countries. They are devotees of the Mother Goddess Bahuchara Mata, the goddess of chastity and fertility, and they commonly perform rituals based on the life cycle. The acceptance of transgenderism and homosexuality is becoming accepted more and more as time goes on. Any person who is either homosexual or transgender should not need to worry, as the texts do not specifically call for other Hindus to cast them out. Although, since there is no central authority in Hinduism that makes this acceptance universal, some temples may operate on their own and not accept homosexuals or transgenders, but if they are following by the sacred texts or stories written, they should not discriminate.
While Hinduism may tolerate homosexuality and transgenderism, a majority of Buddhists accept it. While the majority of Buddhists are open-minded and accepting of these practices, those who are opposed, are able to defend their reasoning with one of the Five Precepts, which serve as voluntary guidelines for life and are the bases of Buddhist morality. One precept in particular aids the argument against homosexuality and transgenderism. The third precept says, “I undertake the training to refrain from using sexual behavior in ways that are harmful to myself and to others. I will attempt to express my sexuality in ways that are beneficial and bring joy” (Human Rights Campaign). This is all up for debate and personal interpretation because there is no general consensus with regard to sexual orientation or gender identity in Buddhism. The only official guideline on homosexuality is found within the Vinyana, a Buddhist text for monks. It forbids Buddhist monks and nuns from having sexual relationships with those of other genders. While this is not an overarching guideline for people practicing Buddhism, it is something to take into consideration if one wanted to become a monk or nun. Those who desire to go on that path are required to refrain from any form of sexual relations anyways. In the case of transgenderism, there is no Buddhist scripture that distinguishes same-sex activity from heterosexual activity, because they both do not benefit spiritual growth. The consequence of this behavior has never been decided on though, some say the consequence is built up karmic debt due to the immorality of the behavior. Others believe that if you do not fully embrace your true self, which may include being homosexual or transgender, you will never be able to fully embrace Atman or true self. Overall, the Buddhist population is very accepting towards the homosexual and transgender community in general, but the actions are advised against.
The previous two religions we have looked at have had a decent attitude towards homosexuals and transgenders, but the next religion, Islam, does not have the best attitude towards these behaviors. Islam, like Hinduism, also does not have a central governing body, so it is not possible to have defined policies regarding issues relating to homosexuality or transgenderism. Since there are over a billion followers of the Islam religion and there is no central, governing body, the attitudes range from acceptance to physical violence. Today, there are many movements supporting the homosexual community, at least in the United States. Homosexual Muslims still will rarely feel welcome in mosques today, because readings of sacred texts and traditional readings do not welcome homosexual acts; they promote heterosexual behavior. The Muslim religion as a whole is still learning to accept behaviors such as homosexuality or transgenderism. Currently, same-sex marriage is happening between Muslims, but many use the Qur’an to condemn these relationships. According to the text, marriage in Islam is, “the only legitimate or halal way to indulge in intimacy between a man and a woman” (Marriage in Islam). Since the Qur’an says a marriage is a contract between a man and a woman so that the man may financially provide for the woman and the woman may perform sexual acts for the man, many are confused on what to think when it comes to relationships between two men, since the contract is supposed to be for two people of the opposite sex. The roles are confused in a same-sex marriage, because who will be the ‘man’ doing the providing and who will be the ‘woman’ providing the sexual acts? In recent years, Islamic scholars have furthered the research on Islamic teachings to see if the blanket of rejection towards homosexual behaviors is a misinterpretation.