Words From a Wicked Woman

Chicago is latest stop on 20-city tour of the U.S.Davis Mac-Iyalla remembers when being gay did not bar him from serving his church. Now in exile, the Nigerian minister embodies a growing debate among Anglicans worldwide.

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Exiled Nigerian gay activist Davis Mac-Iyalla has come to the United States in search of political, spiritual and financial support. Founder of the LGBT Anglican organization Changing Attitude Nigeria, he has faced persecution from both his government and his church–being forced to flee to a nearby country where he and others organize in the herculean fight for their rights against the very powerful Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) and head homophobe in charge. It is because of pressure from Akinola that Mac-Iyalla and others active in his organization were arrested in 2005 by police in Abuja, the nation’s capitol, held for three days without food and water, beaten and tortured before finally being released. To this day, he suffers from the after effects of that violation of human rights, yet, he continues to speak, organize and advocate for his people–our people–in the Federal Republic of Nigeria. He is an LGBT hero.

TWW was in the audience when Mac-Iyalla’s speaking tour came to Cleveland, Ohio on May 23 where he spoke to an audience of about 50 people at Trinity Cathedral. The first thing I noticed was how happy and relieved Mac-Iyalla was to finally be able to bring his story out of Nigeria and into the hearts and minds of people who could have significant influence in putting a stop to the persecution LGBT face in his country. Although it was already illegal to marry a same-sex partner in Nigeria, the legislature, spurred on by Akinola, considered a measure this year that would have carried a five-year prison sentence for advocating for LGBT rights individually or as an organization; providing services for LGBT people, including AIDS/HIV education and prevention; having dinner with another LGBT person in a purely platonic environment; renting space to any LGBT person or organization, and other activities. The bill, called the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act, narrowly escaped passage last March thanks, in no small part, to international pressure from governments and human rights organizations and then-upcoming elections in April. It is hoped that the April 21 poll results will bring about change in attitudes toward LGBT within the new government, however, Akinola and his minions in high office still loom large. Mac-Iyalla was forced to flee his homeland and seek refuge in neighboring Togo amid threats of kidnap, torture and death. It is this story he brings to the U.S. (For more background see Gay Anxiety in Nigeria and Time for a Hard New Push Against Nigerian Anti-Gay Bill.)

Mac-Iyalla began his Cleveland speech by saying that he had tried to refrain from speaking about Akinola because the man is an attention whore who doesn’t care whether what is said is negative or positive, only that his name is mentioned. However, he realized that in order to make Americans aware of the serious dangers of being LGBT in Nigeria, as well as to tell his own story, he had no choice but to also speak of the Nigerian primate who had once declared that there were no LGBT people in Nigeria, much less LGBT Anglicans. It was in response to this assertion that Changing Attitude Nigeria was formed and it was this challenge that led Akinola to turn his considerable powers not just on LGBT Anglicans within his province, but LGBT Nigerians as a whole.

Akinola may be better known in the U.S. for defying hundreds of years of Anglican tradition and poaching dioceses and individual churches within the Episcopal Church, USA (TEC) as they attempt to leave over full-inclusion of LGBT within the life and structure of the denomination, touching off a legal battle royal that threatens to go on for years to come. He is also the primary mover of a coalition of theoretically independent churches within the Anglican Communion called the “Global South” who have threatened to leave unless TEC stops ordaining LGBT bishops and performing same-sex unions. It is supposedly to offer pastoral care that Akinola has affiliated himself with the breakaway TEC dioceses and churches.

Make no mistake, Akinola is a powerful and dangerous man driven by a rabid hatred that is anything but Christian. Because Nigeria is the most populous province in the Communion, he has a built-in power base from which to conduct his heinous campaign against LGBT people throughout the world. I urge anyone who can to hear Mac-Iyalla speak and tell his story in his own words. I will be posting a more thorough article about his fight for freedom next week. In the meantime, I have included a list of cities and dates for the speaking tour. At Mac-Iyalla’s request, I have not included event times. Even here, it seems, he is not safe.

Davis Mac-Iyalla U.S. Tour

Technorati Tags: activism, africa, blacks, christianity, discrimination, episcopal church, gay, homophobia, homosexuality, lesbian, lgbt, nigeria, politics

The following is the first in a series concerning bias against LGBT in all facets of life, including crime and employment, called Fighting Hate. We will look at what’s going on, who is doing what to whom and how. If we don’t know what’s happening, we can do nothing about it.

Passage of the Local Law Enforcement Hate Crimes Prevention Act of 2007 (H.R. 1592) by the U.S. House of Representatives in a 237-180 bipartisan vote on May 3 signaled the success of a 230-plus member coalition led by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) that includes gay and civil rights organizations, labor, law enforcement professionals, religious groups and professional governmental entities in fighting hate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender Americans. The coalition includes: the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, America’s premier civil rights coalition; the American Civil Liberties Union; various unions under the AFL-CIO umbrella; all of the mainstream Protestant denominations and several major Roman Catholic social justice organizations; several major Jewish organizations including Hadassah, the American Jewish Congress, the American Jewish Committee and the National Council of Jewish Women; law enforcement organizations like the National Sheriffs’ Association, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association and National District Attorneys Association, and; several associations of governmental entities such as United States Conference of Mayors and the National League of Cities.

The bill expands existing federal hate crimes laws to include offenses motivated by actual or perceived sexual orientation, gender identity or disability; provides “technical, forensic, prosecutorial, or any other form of assistance in the criminal investigation or prosecution” of bias-motivated crimes under state, local and tribal laws, and; allows jurisdictions to apply for federal grants to help local, state and tribal entities prevent hate crimes committed by juveniles. A little-recognized provision would extend the federal government’s ability to intervene even if the offense was not committed on federal property or the victim was not engaged in one of six federally protected activities at the time the offense occurred as current laws require. The protected activities are: voting; participating in a federal program; working, or applying to work, for the federal government; serving on a jury; participating in a federally-funded program, and; engaging in interstate commerce. The measure is expected to reach the floor of the Senate, where it is called the Matthew Shepard Act (S. 1105), very soon. President George Bush has vowed to veto the bill if it reaches his desk.

What many people do not realize is that the H.R. 1592 coalition includes several black civil rights organizations whose constituency is already included in existing hate crimes laws. However, because they believe it is the right thing to do, they stand shoulder-to-shoulder with HRC and other gay rights advocacy groups to support the inclusion of sexual orientation and gender identity as protected classes. In doing so, they have become targets of the Religious Right in general and black Religious Right proponents in particular.

In a statement released upon his introduction of the bill, Congressman John Conyers (D-MI), chairman of the powerful House Judiciary Committee and founding member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) said, “This legislation is a constructive and measured response to a problem that continues to plague our nation. Behind each of the hate crime statistics is an individual or community targeted for violence for no other reason than race, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, or disability. These are crimes that shock and shame our national conscience and should be subject to comprehensive federal law enforcement assistance and prosecution.”

According to Hate Crimes Statistics, 2005, an annual report released last October, “7,163 criminal incidents involving 8,380 offenses were reported in 2005 as a result of bias toward a particular race, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity/national origin, or physical or mental disability.” Of those incidents, 54.7% were motivated by race, 17.1% by religion, 14.2% by sexual orientation, 13.2% by ethnicity/national origin and .7% by disability. It is generally believed that bias crimes based on sexual orientation are widely underreported. Indeed, many jurisdictions do not keep records of such offenses at all and there are no FBI statistics on gender identity-based hate crimes. The Justice Department is required by the Hate Crimes Statistics Act of 1990 to collect data on bias-motivated offenses from legal jurisdictions throughout the country.

Religious Rights organizations vehemently opposed H.R. 1592 after it was introduced by, claiming that it was an attack on Christian values.

In an editorial titled “Conyers’ ‘Hate Grandma’ bill introduced in House” on the Religious Right “news” site WorldNetDaily.com, Janet Folger, president of the Christian activist group Faith2Action, wrote that the congressman “must hate free speech. He must hate equality. And he must hate…grandma. And I think it’s a crime.” She goes on to say that H.R. 1592 would increase the penalties for any crime committed against LGBT and that it would be safer to rob a heterosexual senior citizen. “So, if you’re going to mug someone, better make sure it’s grandma (unless she’s become a lesbian) – because if the guy whose money you steal happens to be a homosexual, you’re looking at a triple sentence. Go after grandma, and it’s one-third off! Hey, why don’t we save everyone a lot of time and just hand out “Conyers’ Coupons for Criminals!”

The so-called “Conyers’ Coupons for Criminals” is a concept almost too convoluted to take seriously, but theoretically indicates the lower level of culpability imposed by committing a crime against a non-protected class; in this instance, a non-LGBT person as opposed to someone who would be protected under an extension of current hate crimes laws.

“The legislation is ostensibly designed to aid local law enforcement officials, but the real objective is to make homosexual behaviors, cross-dressing, and transsexualism into federally protected minority groups. Changeable behaviors are thus to be accorded the same federal protection as race,” wrote the Rev. Louis P. Shelton, chairman of the Traditional Values Coalition, on that group’s web site. He went on to say, “If signed into law, H.R. 1592 will usher in the death of religious freedom and speech in this nation. Any critical comments about homosexual sodomy will be considered ‘hate speech’ and outside the bounds of First Amendment protections. It has already happened in Canada and it will happen here if H.R. 1592 and other laws like it are not soundly defeated.” The page includes the graphic on the right of a WANTED poster with a supposed picture of Jesus and the heading “For Violation of the Proposed Hate Crimes Law In His Teachings And In His Book ‘The Bible.’”

Interviewed by TWW just hours before the House vote, HRC Regional Field Direction Colin O’Dea said, “I think [the vote will] be a little closer than people thought. I think the Religious Right did a lot more work than we thought they were going to do and caught us a little bit off-guard–not just HRC, but the progressive community as a whole.”

According to the blog Pam’s House Blend, a good read for a summary of the Religious Right’s anti-hate crime bill activities before and after it passed the House (also see these articles), members of Congress were blanketed with e-mail, faxes, letters and phone calls urging them to vote against the measure. Although efforts to amend hate crimes laws to include LGBT people have been introduced since the 1970s, opposition was particularly strong this time, including a failed petition stating that hate crimes legislation would: “Silence the Bible-believing Churches, Pastors and Christians”; “Elevate homosexuality and gender confused individuals such as drag queens, cross-dressers, she-males, etc. to the status of federally-protected minorities. These behaviors will be considered equal to race under the federal law,” and; “Fund anti-Christian curriculum for children K-12, through the U.S. Departments of Education and Justice to promote homosexuality and cross-dressing as normal behaviors,” among other false and inflammatory accusations.

Bishop Harry R. Jackson, Jr., senior pastor of the Washington, DC-area Hope Christian Church and leader of the ultra conservative black Christian political group High Impact Leadership Coalition, held a news conference about a week before passage of H.R. 1592. Flanked by several other black ministers, he said that their joining with conservative white Christians “represents a landmark transition that’s going on in our nation. In fact, what is going on is that there is an amalgamation–a coming together of the black church . . . and the white church against this kind of legislation.” (See this transcript of his statements.) Jackson, at No. 22, was voted one of the 50 Most Influential Christians in America by Church Report Magazine last January. Bishop T.D. Jakes (No. 4), The Potter’s House in Houston, TX; Bishop Eddie L. Long (No. 34), New Birth Missionary Baptist Church, Lithonia, GA, and; Dr. Creflo A. Dollar (No. 48), World Changers International are the other black ministers/pastors on the list–all falling squarely in the Religious Right camp.

O’Dea, the HRC regional field director noted that events like Jackson’s press conference are big news because they are so rare. “In communities of color, there are more supporters than most people would think. It makes bigger news when the minister of a mega-church comes out in favor of standing with Bush or standing with the Republicans because [it happens infrequently].”

He is quite right. Much to Jackson’s consternation, by and large, black leaders have been strong supporters of efforts to include LGBT in hate crimes and other pieces of civil rights legislation. “[H.R. 1592] has been endorsed by the NAACP, by other black leadership in high-ranking, kind of official, capacity. But, unfortunately, many of the forerunners of the Civil Rights Movement in the early days are now out-of-touch with what is going on. They are not moving in step with the real grassroots of the black community. So we have a limited number of autonomous, self-appointed leaders who are standing to speak inappropriately for the black community,” he remarked.

Although Jackson did not name specific black leaders, it is a sure bet he included members of the CBC, long-time advocates of civil rights for LGBT people, including support for employment protection, opposition to the Defense of Marriage Act and inclusive hate crime legislation.

An analysis of the May 3 House vote reveals that only 11 members did not co-sponsor the bill (including one deceased and one Senate member), and; only four members did not vote for the bill (one deceased, one Senate member and two absent members). In short, H.R. 1592 received the overwhelming support of CBC members. (Voting results taken from GovTrack.us.)

In a press release issued upon passage of H.R. 1592, CBC Chairwoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI) said, “One of our most important charges is to protect and defend [America's] citizens, which is precisely what H.R. 1592, the Hate Crimes Prevention Act, introduced by one of the founders of the Congressional Black Caucus, House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers, Jr. [does]. . . . As we celebrate two centuries of the end of the African Slave Trade, it is our hope that today will be the beginning of the end of the decades of mindless hatred, bigotry, and discrimination against all God’s children. All Americans have an investment in a stable, violence free government, and that is exactly what this bill provides.”

Jackson may not have enumerated specific black leaders for condemnation, however, he did single out the venerable National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) for their support of the bill. Former U.N. ambassador and current NAACP Chairman of the Board Julian Bond has been a steadfast supporter of gay rights. As an advisor and colleague of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., he has a unique and unquestionably authoritative view of discrimination in America. When asked in a September 2006 interview conducted by America Online’s Black Voices why a lot of black people think that black rights are reduced when others gain their own, Bond responded, “I don’t know. I think it’s because they don’t have an understanding of the universality of rights. They somehow think, wrongly, that if Joe gets rights, then John loses rights. Which of course, doesn’t make sense. This is a win-win game for everybody.”

In his keynote address at the 2005 Equality Virginia annual dinner, Bond said, “Gay and lesbian rights are not ’special rights’ in any way. It isn’t ’special’ to be free from discrimination–it is an ordinary, universal entitlement of citizenship. The right not to be discriminated against is a common-place claim we all expect to enjoy under our laws and our founding document, the Constitution. That many had to struggle to gain these rights makes them precious–it does not make them special, and it does not reserve them only for me or restrict them from others.”

The NAACP, the CBC, Conyers and Julian Bond were not the only prominent black organizations and individuals endorsing H.R. 1592. Joining them are the A. Philip Randolph Institute; the African Methodist Episcopal Church; the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists; the Congress of National Black Churches; the National Black Police Association; the National Urban League, and; the Rev. Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition Union, among others. Read the entire list of supporters.

Technorati Tags: activism, african-american, blacks, christianity, discrimination, gay, harry jackson, hate crimes, homosexuality, hrc, john conyers, legislation, lesbian, lgbt, politics, religious right

The Nigerian National Assembly has recessed without voting on the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act 2006, the proposed legislation that would prohibit not only same-sex marriage but advocacy on behalf of LGBT Nigerians; meetings or gatherings of any sort between LGBT; displays of affection between LGBT in public OR private, and; registration or promotion of any clubs or groups by or for LGBT Nigerians, among other things. Violations of any provision of the Act is punishable by five years in prison. Homosexuality is already illegal in Nigeria. In the Muslim north, it is punishable under Sharia law by stoning to death.

Although the bill was debated by the House of Representatives on March 22, the House Human Rights Committee is of the opinion that the bill violates the human rights of LGBT and is reportedly attempting to block the its progress, even suggesting that they may issue a minority report of their findings. Nevertheless, lobbying in favor of the bill is still taking place. Chief among the bill’s supporters is Archbishop Peter J. Akinola, Primate of All Nigeria, Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion),(CON), who issued a statement in support of the legislation shortly after it was introduced last year.

“The Church commends the law-makers for their prompt reaction to outlaw same-sex relationships in Nigeria and calls for the bill to be passed since the idea expressed in the bill is the moral position of Nigerians regarding human sexuality,” reads Message to the Nation/Communiqué, (also called the Ibadan Communiqué), a statement issued after a February 2006 meeting of the CON’s Standing Committee in Ibadan.

Akinola is said to be specifically lobbying Christian legislators.

“Changing Attitude Nigeria stands as a reminder to the world-wide Anglican Communion that the Church of Nigeria is promoting and supporting a bill which will erode the most basic human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people,” declared director of Changing Attitude Nigeria, Davis Mac-Iyalla in a March 23 press release. Changing Attitude Nigeria is an advocacy group for LGBT Anglicans in that country.

The situation for LGBT Nigerians is horrific. “Two months ago I was arrested and detained by the police in Lagos,” said Chuma, a gay Nigerian man, in Voices From Nigeria: Gays, Lesbians, Bisexuals and Transgenders Speak Out About the Same-Sex Bill, a pamphlet published by the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) last November. “This happened when I was carrying out research for the study on the prevalence and risk factors of HIV/AIDS, STI infections and social risk behavior among men that have sex with men in Nigeria. A team of policemen in Lagos came to my apartment and took me away to an unknown place for 2 days. I was beaten beyond recognition, and I am still receiving treatment for the head injury I received. I was dehumanized and paraded naked to the press. My money, ID card and shoes were taken. Eventually I was released without being charged or tried. My only offense was that I am gay.”

Chuma is concerned that the bill will force gays underground, keeping them from HIV/AIDS programs due to the ban on LGBT organizations. Aishat, a 21-year-old gay man who is HIV-positive, shares that concern.

“These issues in society force gay life underground and contribute to the spread of HIV/AIDS. I have to sneak around to have sex with other gay men. It is like hide and seek. We need to be quick and there is no time to make adequate provision about when and how to have sex. . . . The Bill will force people to have sex in secret rather than stopping gays having sex. Condoms will be used less and less often because there will be no time to develop relationships because of fear of being caught,” he says.

Patricia is a closeted lesbian in love with another woman. She is very anxious about what will happen if the legislation’s supporters prevail. “If the Bill is passed it will be terrible. . . . I am with somebody I love. I don’t think anyone can force me to stop living the life I want to live. When you love someone and you can’t have access to that person, life is not worth living. I am too afraid to think about what I will have to do if the Bill is passed.”

And then there’s Mohammed, a 26-year-old male transvestite who has been beaten on many occasions for being gay and transgender. “I wanted to go out for a party and I thought it would be better if I dressed up at home so that I would not be seen changing so as to protect myself. My stepfather and brothers came in because they saw lipstick on the shower top. I was tied down and beaten all night long. Another time my stepfather poured hot cooking oil on my foot as a punishment for being gay,” recounted Mohammed.

“I have been hurt badly. I have been beaten with an iron and sticks. I am too scared to go to hospital because of the way I look. I self-medicate and many of my injuries have not healed because I have not received proper treatment for them,” he said.

Voices From Nigeria contains accounts of incidents that happened prior to the introduction of the anti-gay legislation. More recent reports are even worse. As I’ve previously written, Mac-Iyalla, the Anglican LGBT activist, has been forced to leave Nigeria due to threats on his life. There are others who have experienced increased violence as well and Mac-Iyalla is doing what he can to provide assistance. In addition, I have learned that at least one of the world’s more prominent religious bodies is doing what it can to help. Details are necessarily vague, but I believe they, too, are trying to re-locate those LGBT who are in the most danger.

What is needed is world condemnation by people, governments and organizations according to Mac-Iyalla. “World opinion needs to urgently condemn further progress on this Bill in the Nigerian House of Representatives. It will make criminals of LGBT people simply for being who they are. We urge all Provinces and Primates of the Anglican Communion to support international action in condemnation of this dangerous and inhuman bill.”

This legislation has been condemned by IGLHRC, the U.S. State Department, the European Union, too many AIDS organizations to count, including UNAIDS, and others. Even the House of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the USA (TEC) has come out in opposition to the legislation. “We proclaim the Gospel that stands against any violence, including violence done to women and children as well as those who are persecuted because of their differences, often in the name of God. The Dar es Salaam Communiqué is distressingly silent on this subject.”

The statement is contained in the “Mind of the House” resolutions issued after the bishops’ Spring Meeting in Camp Allen, Texas earlier this month in stark contrast to the silence–until very recently–of the Anglican Communion, the organization comprising the 38 churches that trace their origin to the Church of England, in which Akinola is the leading conservative voice and the voice of the so-called Global South.

Nevertheless, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr. Rowan Williams, leader of the Church of England and the Anglican Communion, voiced his concern that the Church be a safe place for gay and lesbian people in a welcome message contained in an interim report from the Communion’s Listening Process released March 28. “The commitments of the Communion are not only to certain theological positions on the question of sexual ethics but also to a manifest and credible respect for the proper liberties of homosexual people, a commitment again set out in successive Lambeth Conference Resolutions over many decades,” Williams wrote. “I share the concerns expressed about situations where the Church is seen to be underwriting social or legal attitudes which threaten these proper liberties. It is impossible to read this report without being aware that in many places - including Western countries with supposedly ‘liberal’ attitudes – hate crimes against homosexual people have increased in recent years and have taken horrifying and disturbing forms.”

The Listening Process is a mechanism established by the Communion to hear the voices of LGBT Anglicans in preparation for making policy concerning their treatment and inclusion in light of controversy concerning TEC’s 2003 consecration of V. Gene Robinson, an openly gay man in a committed relationship, as bishop of New Hampshire and the performance of same-sex unions in many dioceses. Other members of the Communion ordain gay and lesbian priests and perform same-sex unions as well. However, none have consecrated an openly gay or lesbian bishop as yet. I will be writing much more about this controversy and its effect on TEC at a slightly later date–probably next week.

Now that Williams has finally broken his silence, it is more important than ever to express concern to the Nigerian government about the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act. The National Assembly recess provides the perfect opportunity to get those objections in before the bill comes up for a vote. With enough protest, it is possible this bill will never reach the floor. I urge you to contact George A. Obiozor, Nigerian ambassador to the U.S., at Nigerian embassy in Washington, D.C. The full address is:

Ambassador Professor George A. Obiozor
Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria
3519 International Court NW
Washington, DC 20008

You can also fax your letters. The fax number is (202) 775-1385. Although I believe written communication will be more powerful, comments may registered at the embassy via phone by calling (202) 986-8400;. I strongly urge anyone who phones or writes to be very polite even while expressing your concern and dismay. Remember that you are representing your country and, if you are LGBT, all of us as well. Let’s get busy and support our Nigerian LGBT sisters and brothers.

Technorati Tags: activism, africa, christianity, episcopal church, gay, homosexuality, lesbian, lgbt, nigeria, politics

The following is a comment to the article, Reflections on a Meeting with the Presiding Bishop, posted on the blog From Glory Into Glory. That article offers insight into Episcopal Church in the USA Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori and her positions regarding demands made of her and the Episcopal Church by certain primates in the Anglican Communion to change its progressive stance on full-inclusion of LGBT at all levels. The writer, Rev. Michael Hopkins, and Rev. Susan Russell, president of Integrity, USA, met with Jefferts Schori to ascertain her thoughts and intent regarding the primates’ ultimatum. The article inspired a host of comments both negative and positive. Unfortunately, I lost the copy of my comment that I placed in my laptop’s clipboard which means I lost the links included in the comment. Therefore, I invite you to read it in its original form.

The question of His Holiness, the Dalai Lama’s stance on homosexuality bothered me and so I decided to see for myself. In his 1996 book Beyond Dogma: Dialogues and Discourses, he said that homosexuality was wrong. He later clarified that homosexuality was wrong because it involved the use of the mouth, rectum and/or hands as opposed to only using genitalia. He added that the use of the mouth, rectum and hands are also proscribed in heterosexual encounters.

The primary issue is whether an act is “sexual misconduct.” The problem is that “sexual misconduct” was not defined by Buddha. An article published on the World Tibet Network News website of a transcript between an interviewer and the Dalai Lama, he explains that sexual activity, and therefore sexual misconduct, has to be separated into two different categories. The first category is for those who are in religious communities–nuns and monks. The second category is for those who are not celibate–everyday Buddhists. In the first instance, any form of sexual activity, including masturbation would be wrong because there would be ejaculate (he obviously had men in mind). However, the same could not be said of masturbation for someone not in a religious community.

In actuality, there is a third category: non-Buddhists. Although he viewed homosexuality as “sexual misconduct” for Buddhists, he said that it was “non-harmful” for non-Buddhists. The San Francisco Chronicle quotes him as saying, “From society’s viewpoint, mutually agreeable homosexual relations can be of mutual benefit, enjoyable and harmless.”

The article linked to the World Tibetan News site is difficult to read in that the DL doesn’t always know how to say things in English and relies on his interpreter. Nevertheless, what is clear is that he is a celibate man who has never really considered these issues. The first time he did so in depth was during a private meeting with a number of LGBT Buddhists who were deeply concerned about the statements in his book. That meeting was the beginning of a shift in his position toward greater study and concern.

Fast forward to 2006 when the DL sent greetings and support to the International Lesbian and Gay Association on the occasion of their 28th World Congress. In the interim, as he stated during his visit with LGBT Buddhists in 1997, I believe he reflected on several of the supposed methods of committing “sexual misconduct” and realized, as he hinted at that time, that they may have been shaped by their culture and point in history. I also believe that he followed through on his desire to learn more about LGBT people through scientific study.

It seems to me that the DL has done/is doing exactly what LGBT Christians of all faith traditions want their leadership to do–come into the 21st Century and realize that the Bible should be referenced in the context of place, time and culture. I’m surprised no one has mentioned that it has gone through several translations into its current form and many things could easily have been mistranslated “accidentally on purpose.”

I think it would be instructive for others to read the evolution of the Dalai Lama’s thoughts. While not a direct line of progression, a Google search using the terms “dalai lama homosexuality” brought me to all of the articles referenced above.

Technorati Tags: buddhism, christianity, episcopal church, lgbt