Gay Buddhists and other groups in Thailand.

[ScholarDreamer]

I am interested in what LGBT Buddhist groups are here in Thailand. Also, other LGBT East Asian religious groups.

In Taipei there is a Temple for Tu'er, the Rabbit God, the Taoist god for LGBT. There is a movie, "Kiss of the Rabbit God," on YouTube and it has over 2 million views. I am studing the history of Taoism currently and have made it to the Tang dynasty.

However, I wonder what other LGBT involvements in East Asian religions are there in Thailand.

I plan to visit about five nations for a few weeks each in the year after the pandemic travel restrictions are over. So if you have information about other nations, please let me know and I will start of thread in the proper forum for your reply.

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[Oliver2]

I suspect that you will have to turn to Facebook and other sites like LINE. Support groups in Thailand seem to be informal and personalised.....subscriber to subscriber. Of course, my impression is based entirely on what I have learnt in my LTR and what he has told me. Others may have different information.

The issue of the impact on homosexuality on Buddhist orthodoxies is interesting and perhaps deserves a thread of its own.

[cdnmatt]

I don't understand the question. It's Thailand, they're generally all Buddhists who goto the temple at least a couple times a month.

[pong]

Visited Th since some 30+ years by now and probably have visited at least that nr of temples too-but never ever, nor by reading the famous /en/ newspaper BKK-Post (or before the Nation) or some other sources have I ever read about such groups. Neither from a in my country quite well-known and gay since his early years writer/author living in TH=Chiang Mai since some also 30 yrs. Whereas he has published about every conceivable sexual orientation there may exist.
This does not mean such groups do not exist at all-but if they are will be hard to find and indeed in these modern times that fb will be the best source.
Also: do you know the blogs from christianpfc.blogspot/ he has also visited Taiwan a yr or 2 bfre covid hit and is now in Khmerland=Cambodia. he is also quite interested in anything deviating-what some may call ''abnormal'' for lack of words.

[pong]

Oh-and that all TGhai visit a temple a few times/month-thats only a quite selective group-unless they are in childhood and their primary school is in the temple compound-as is very often the case in the villages and also for quite a few such institutions in BKK proper.

[christianpfc]

I am interested in what LGBT Buddhist groups are here in Thailand. Also, other LGBT East Asian religious groups.

In Taipei there is a Temple for Tu'er, the Rabbit God, the Taoist god for LGBT. There is a movie, "Kiss of the Rabbit God," on YouTube and it has over 2 million views.

Unlike Christianity and Islam, where homosexuality is more or less discouraged (now that's an euphemism!) it is no problem in Buddhism and idea of "gay Buddhist groups" sounds absurd to me. I have no idea!

The closest I can think of are fertility shrines, visited by women who want to become pregnant. The one in Bangkok (Tuptim shrine) was sanitized years ago (most of the wooden phallus removed), and there is one in Krabi (Tham Phra Nang, I haven't been). These are the only places I know where Buddhism and sexuality come together.

I didn't know about this temple, but will check and go next time I'm in Taipei.

[ScholarDreamer]

I would like to point out that there is a Buddhist group in Taiwan that is outspoken regarding LGBT rights.

Similarly in Korea the Won Buddhist groups is known to be very supportive of LGBT rights.

I am not necessarily looking for a separate LGBT Buddhist organization. It could be a focus study group within a larger group. Or it could be that a specific Buddhist group has a strong support for LGBT rights.

There are different efforts regarding LGBT and non-Western religion. In the Philippines it the re-discovery of a pre-colonial god who is understood to be gay by contemporary Gay Filipinos.

In Indonessia there is the movie Wiwitan by a gay Indonesian film producer which touches a family story of a Wiwitan leader and his gay and Muslim on.

In the Thai pantheon of Gods are any known to have a same-sex romance?

I am doing research via multiple venues.

[ScholarDreamer]

I would like to bring this Thai Buddhist monk to the groups attention.

https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/thai...iage-equality/

I am trying multipe avenues of getting answers. I mention this because I perceive a dismissive tone in regards to my question.

[Dodger]

[QUOTE=ScholarDreamer;281897

I am doing research via multiple venues.[/QUOTE]

Obviously "Google" is your primary venue.

[Armando]

I would like to bring this Thai Buddhist monk to the groups attention.

https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/thai...iage-equality/

I am trying multipe avenues of getting answers. I mention this because I perceive a dismissive tone in regards to my question.

Having lived in Thailand for a couple of decades and visited regularly beforehand and with several Thai friends, I know nothing of any Buddhist LGBT group. I do suggest that the key sentence in the article you posted is

"“He is quite exceptional; it is not common to see a Buddhist monk take such an interest in these issues, and be vocal and supportive, and even show up at events,” Anjana Suvarnanda, co-founder of the LGBT+ organization Anjaree Group, told TRF.

If he is virtually unique, it is unlikely there will be more than a handful of others. I suggest your research investigates not simly Buddhist groups but Thai society's attitudes to the LGBT community in general. Although Thailand is regarded as a relatively open society for LGBT tourists, within the country there is still a strong anti LGBT feeling in much of society (admittedly the older generations) and especially in businesses. Many young professional Thais are afraid to come out to their colleagues in the workplace because they believe this will affect their standing in the company and especially their promotion prospects.

The article also mentions Thailand preparing to pass a landmark civil partnerships bill. That was written a year ago and the bill is not merely bogged down in the legislative process, the government has so many other more major pressing issues on its plate just now that the chances of it being debated anytime soon are minimal.

You might look at parallels with Vietnam. In 2014 that country changed a 1992 law to provide some rights to the LGBT community and enable same-sex marriage. But there is a sting in the tail. Same sex marriages are not recognised as more than a ceremony and are not protected under the law. Thai society may be less conservative than Vietnamese society, but I think it is likely that if Thailand moves soon on gay marriage the debate is likely to throw up a lot of anti-LGBT views.