Traditional Buddhist teachings exclude LGBTQ people from monastic life, but change is coming slowly

By Jue Liang, Assistant Professor, Denison University

The symbolic image of the silently meditating nun or chanting monk often embodies the Buddhist religion. Such representation may make it appear that Buddhist teachings and practices are grounded in heterosexual norms. However, there is also plenty of discussion on the various expressions of human sexuality and sexual orientations in pre-modern Buddhist literature.

In contemporary debates about gender, nonbinary definitions in particular, have reached many countries…

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