About Us - Gay Buddhist Sangha

Contents:

• JAPAN HAS A BUDDHIST MONK FIGHTG FOR GAY RIGHTS?

JAPAN HAS A BUDDHIST MONK FIGHTG FOR GAY RIGHTS?

Durg his childhood socially nservative Japan, Nishimura found refuge om homophobia and ostracizatn through studyg English and nnectg onle wh peers who were also explorg their genr inty and sexualy.

He has always known that I was a homosexual, [but] he was very aaid that I would be targeted and huiated wh the Buddhist muny when I publicly me out.

There are two gay characters on "Sailor Moon, " but they're villas who get feated by the heroe.

So I cid to tra as a monk to see what says about life, homosexualy, and to see how I uld evolve as a person. Gay people are not perverts or villas — they n even be Buddhist monks. (Thomson Rters Foundatn) - Durg a sheltered upbrgg a Buddhist temple Tokyo, gay Japane monk Kodo Nishimura kept his sexualy a closely guard secret, and also ncealed his burgeong love of make-up.

Nowadays, Nishimura blends relig duti wh work as a make-up artist, makg him an unual figure socially nservative Japan, where same-sex marriage remas illegal and beg openly gay is largely 31-year-old said his eventual cisn to e out had been the “bt weapon” to challenge homophobia, and he now hop his tobgraphy will spire more LGBT+ people his untry to openly embrace their sexual inty.

Japane monks are allowed to pursue a reer outsi their relig duti, but Nishimura’s choice of profsn and his LGBT+ advocy work have ma headl Japan and raised his profile as a spokman on gay rights issu.