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The Conversation
The Conversation
Jue Liang, Assistant Professor, Denison University

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

Novice Buddhist monks during a mass ordination at Dhamagaya Temple in central Thailand in 2010. AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong

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 where this ancient religion is practiced.

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