LGBTQIA+ Buddhists’ dilemma of concealing their truth

In Australia, a significant portion of LGBTQIA+ Buddhists face challenges when it comes to embracing their identities within Buddhist communities. Surprisingly, nearly one in six individuals within this community has been explicitly told that being LGBTQIA+ is incompatible with Buddhist teachings. These findings emerge from a comprehensive study aimed at understanding the experiences of LGBTQIA+ Buddhists in Australia.
As a genderqueer, non-binary Buddhist, my curiosity about the experiences of others in the Australian LGBTQIA+ Buddhist community led me to conduct research in 2020. I surveyed 82 LGBTQIA+ Buddhists and subsequently conducted 29 face-to-face interviews. Remarkably, this research was the first of its kind in Australia.
While Buddhism is often seen as an accepting and inclusive faith, my research reveals that this is not always the case. While Buddhism lacks religious laws, commandments, or punishments, it does feature five precepts that guide moral and ethical behaviour, one of which addresses “sexual misconduct.” Unfortunately, this precept has sometimes been misconstrued to reference homosexuality, leading to discrimination against LGBTQIA+ Buddhists.

Difficulties of coming out
A considerable number of LGBTQIA+ Buddhists choose to remain in the closet due to the prevailing heteronormative and puritanical environment in many Buddhist spaces. This reluctance is exemplified by Lang*, a pansexual, non-binary man, who highlighted the profound misunderstanding of these spaces. Similarly, Helen, a pansexual transwoman, referred to the monastery she visits as a “male institution,” noting that judgments and phobias persist even among ordained practitioners. Traci, a lesbian woman, faced direct opposition from monastics who asserted that her LGBTQIA+ identity contradicted Buddhist teachings, leading to her exclusion from an Australian Tibetan sangha.
Annie, a pansexual transwoman, encountered an hour and a half lecture from her monastic teacher that focused, in part, on the “evils of gay sex,” despite her insistence that she wasn’t gay.

Barriers to Meditation and Ordination
Meditation retreats are integral to Buddhist practice, yet they pose unique challenges for LGBTQIA+ individuals. Some retreats segregate participants based on a binary view of gender, making transgender and non-binary Buddhists uncomfortable. Nano, a queer non-binary man, recounted an experience where they were pushed into gender-segregated sections, leading to uncomfortable situations.
While gender segregation is meant to minimize distractions, it often fails to acknowledge the diverse experiences of LGBTQIA+ individuals. Raja, a polyamorous gay man, noted that this practice placed him in an uncomfortable situation, potentially amplifying feelings of lust. A commonly held image of Buddhism is that of a monastic in robes. Surprisingly, some LGBTQIA+ celibate monastics who are “out” have faced pressure to conceal their sexual and gender identities to prevent being denied ordination. Venerable Daiji, a queer man, faced discrimination when a woman insisted that he couldn’t ordain because he identified as gay.
Daiden, an ordained Buddhist priest and a gay man, was advised by his teacher not to disclose his sexuality unless explicitly asked. Even when asked about having a partner, he still conceals the truth to avoid violating this advice.