Is your local temple or preaching center truly
inclusive and friendly towards everyone, including gays, or
is it the type that only tolerates gays if they pretend
to be straight, jokes about them behind their backs, demonizes
them, and makes up reasons why they can’t join or become
devotees? Help us find out!
A recent poll conducted by GALVA (the Gay and Lesbian Vaishnava
Association) has produced mixed results at best. According to
the gay and lesbian devotees surveyed, less than one in five
(19%) reported being treated nicely at the Gaudiya Vaishnava
temples or preaching centers they visited or lived in. The largest
group (33%) reported that they were only treated nicely if they
didn’t mention they were gay, and 29% said that sometimes
they were treated nicely and sometimes poorly. 7% reported being
treated like an “outsider,” and 11% complained that
they were always treated poorly.
Because some Gaudiya Vaishnava temples are friendly towards
third-gender persons (defined as gay males, lesbians, bisexuals,
transgenders, crossdressers, hijra, the intersexed,
etc.) while others clearly are not, guidelines have been set
up by GALVA to determine whether any given center can be considered
gay-friendly. In our preaching work, devotees and
newcomers often ask us for referrals to temples that are accepting
of gays and do not discriminate against or demean them. Naturally,
we are very hesitant to refer any third-gender newcomer or aspiring
bhakta to a center where they could possibly be mistreated or
given a bad impression of Krsna consciousness, something that
has already happened far too often. It is also of great importance
to us that gay devotees who join a temple receive ample friendship,
care and support in an environment that is conducive to good
mental health. Therefore GALVA has set up the following five
simple guidelines that it would expect any recommended temple
to follow:
- Third-gender guests and members living outside
the temple or preaching center are equally welcomed, received
and befriended as any other guest or member would be. This
includes those who may stand out as different
such as transgenders, gay and lesbian couples, etc.
- Third-gender persons inspired to follow the path
of bhakti and live a monastic lifestyle are equally welcomed
to join and move into the temple or preaching center.
- People are viewed according to their devotional
qualities and level of spiritual advancement, not by body type.
Ridicule, disparagement, alienation or any unfair treatment
of third-gender people is not tolerated and promptly addressed
when it occurs.
- Genuine compassion, friendship and flexibility
are exhibited to help accommodate third-gender members and
guests. They are dealt with in an open and honest manner and
are never forced into silence or self-denial.
- Third-gender devotees who can no longer maintain
their monastic vows are not rejected by the temple or pressured
into following artificial renunciation. Rather, they are offered
realistic counseling and advice. They are encouraged to keep
their ties with the center, continue their devotion outside
of temple life, become responsible citizens and establish
committed, monogamous relationships.
We encourage any Gaudiya Vaishnava temple or preaching center that follows
these five guidelines to contact us so that we can recommend them to our members. Many temples are already following these guidelines in the spirit
of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Nevertheless, if they could please
contact GALVA directly this will help us greatly in terms of referrals—
something that comes up quite frequently in our preaching work.
It will help us distinguish the temples with gay-friendly
administrations so that we can steer our members away from the ones that aren’t.
If you are a third-gender Vaishnava, have a friend or relative
who is, or if you are just a concerned devotee and well-wisher,
please contact your local temple authorities and bring these guidelines
to their attention. Encourage them to consider adopting these
inclusive principles and contact us so that we may count on their
support. Thank you very much!
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