Sexuality in Hinduism

Taneesha Mirwani U27367726 WS240

SEXUALITY IN

Hinduism STIGMA OR NOT?

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THE HINDU SCRIPTS THAT DATE BACK TO 5000-7000 YEARS AGO, SUCH AS THE MAHABHARATA, THE RAMAYANA, THE VEDAS AND THE PURANAS, ALL CONTAIN CHANGES OF SEX, HOMOEROTIC ENCOUNTERS, AND MANY THIRD GENDER CHARACTERS.

While there are numerous sexual encounters in Hindu texts, not all of them are for pleasure. Sometimes, they're samesex interactions, but treated like any other sexual act because the gods often gave their blessings for these acts.

EXAMPLES SHIKHANDINI - SHIKHANDI This warrior in the Kurukshetra war in most tellings of the Mahabharata was female at birth but changed gender later in life. Born Shikhandini, the girl in one version of the story was raised as a male by King Drupada, the girl's father. The king even had her married to the princess of Dasharna. Upon complaints from the new bride, Shikhandini fled into the forest and met a Yaksha and exchanged genders.

Now taking the name Shikhandi, he remained a man until his death at the battle of Mahabharat (ogles, 2016)

KRISHNA - MOHINI An incarnation of Vishnu, the popular deity Krishna also took the form of Mohini in order to marry Aravan to satisfy one of the hero’s last requests, according to the Mahabharata. After Aravan’s passing, Krishna stayed in the form as the hero’s widow for a significant period of mourning. (ogles, 2016)

AGNI Agni, the god of fire, wealth and creative energy, has same-sex sexual encounters that involve accepting semen from other gods.

Although married to the goddess Svaha, Agni is also shown as being part of a same-sex couple with Soma, the god of the moon. Agni takes a receptive role in this relationship, accepting semen from Soma with his mouth, paralleling Agni's role in accepting sacrifices from Earth to Heaven. Orthodox Hinduism emphasises that these are "mithuna", ritual sexual encounters, and Agni and his mouth represent the feminine role. (Conner & Sparks, 1998)

LORD AYYAPPA Mohini is the only female avtaar of Vishnu, who exhibits gender variability, in one case even becoming pregnant (Vishnu as Mohini and the Preserver even procreates with Shiva, the designated Destroyer to give birth to Lord Ayyappa). Each time Vishnu, in his role as the protector of the universe, took the feminine form of the divine enchantress Mohini, the world got saved.

Vishnu becomes Mohini when genderadaptability (here it’s not masculinity but femininity) is called for, to solve a problem.

So, what?

Yes, while there are plenty of examples of possible LGBTQ representations in Hindu texts, does being Hindu come to queer people as a privilege?

I took an interview of two homosexual Indian men, one Christian and one Hindu, and this is what they had to say.

RANJIT

YUVRAJ

RODRICKS

MENDA

(christian)

"Hindus themselves don't know about their own religion.

They don't care what was in the texts because societal standards mean that we must have a heterosexual life to be "normal."

(hindu)

"Personally, I think my parents only accepted my gayness because they have no option but to love me.

Hinduism has no play in this because we're not from the villages, I don't even think my parents know abput Shiva's blowjob experience with another man.

WHY DO HINDUS STILL STIGMATIZE THE LGBTQ+ THEN? Same-sex desire and even sexual activity have been represented and discussed in Indian literature for two millennia, often in a nonjudgmental and even celebratory manner, but a new virulent form of modern homophobia developed in India during the colonial period.

This homophobia was part of a more generalized attack on Indian sexual mores and practices undertaken by British missionaries as well as educationists. It is evident not only in the anti-sodomy law introduced by the British in the Indian Penal Code of1 860 (overturned by the Delhi High Court in 2009), but also in the deliberate heterosexualization of entire literary canons and genres (such as the Urdu ghazal, or love poem, which gendered both lover and beloved as male). Most Indian nationalists internalized this homophobia and came to view homosexuality as an unspeakable crime, even as they also attacked polygamy, courtesan culture, matriliny, polyandry, and other institutions that were seen as opposed to heterosexual monogamous marriage. Prior to this, homosexuality had never been considered unspeakable in Indian texts or religions (Vanita, 2009).

IS THE DISCRIMINATION CLASS-BASED? As Yuvraj (the Hindu interviewee) said, "Hinduism has no play in this because we're not from the villages." Does this mean that upper-caste Hindus face more of a struggle than lower class Hindus when it comes to their LGBTQ identity?

I INTERVIEWED TWO INTERSEX TRANSGENDER WOMEN ALSO CALLED "HIJRAS", FROM TWO DIFFERENT "CLASSES TO SEE WHAT THEY THOUGHT.

WHAT IS A HIJRA?

Hijra or Transgender, which is known as the Third Gender globally, is considered physically and psychologically ambivalent and because of ambivalence people consider them as minacious community. Hijras are physiological males who have a feminine gender identity, adopt feminine gender roles, and wear women's clothing. They do not conform to conventional notions of male or female gender but combine or move between the two.

Their vulnerabilities, frustrations, and insecurities have been historically overlooked by mainstream society (Agrawal, 1997).

WHY ARE THEY IMPORTANT TO HINDU CULTURE? Lord Rama, in the epic Ramayana, was leaving in the forest upon being banished from the kingdom for 14 years, turns around to his followers and asks all the ‘men and women’ to return to the city. Among his followers, the hijras alone did feel bound by this direction and decide to stay with him. Impressed with their loyalty, Rama sanctioned them the power to confer blessings on people on auspicious occasions like child birth and marriage, and also at inaugural functions which, it was supposed to set the stage for the custom of

gs.

badhai in which hijras sing, dance and confer blessings.

(Michelraj, 2015)

Hijras also held religious authority and important court positions and administrative roles in Mughal era India. Believed to have the ability to bless, many would seek out Hijras for blessings during important religious ceremonies. In ancient India, the Hijras were a community that was respected for being extremely loyal and were well trusted enough to be given important religious and governmental roles ("India’s Relationship with the Third Gender – UAB Institute for Human Rights Blog", 2018)

It is even today, in 2020, where you will see many people pay for Hijras to come and bless their newborn child or their new home, or even at a wedding ceremony.

However, it is always someone of a higher class calling Hijras from the temples in villages.

What about the Hijras who want a life outside the temple?

Rishika:

The trans woman I interviewed, Rishika, was from a high class english-speaking family who had upto a college degree from India's capital city, New Delhi. It didn't matter though. Her family threw her out when she came out to them and on many occasions, try to convince her not to act like a woman. They kept forcing her to get married as a man, and have children as if it would heal her. She was brave enough to say no and flee to Mumbai, where she got a job. "You know Taneesha, everybody used to stare at me, nobody wanted to by my friend, but these same people would offer money to Hijras on the road. I am not a Hijra, I am a woman, I don't understand why it is so hard for people to see it.

The second woman I interviewed was born intersex and now identifies as a woman. She was uncomfortable with me sharing her name but told me in our native language that when she came out to her family, they were accepting and sent her to the temple to get a job and offer blessings. She was pretty complacent with her life. When I asked her if she had any dreams or career that she would have liked to follow, she took offence and said that she could do whatever she wanted. She then spoke about her transgender muslim friends and how they had been thrown out of their own houses because their religion doesn't permit it. She said "Hindu banake bhagwan ne mere liye acha kiya hai" which means "God did me good by making me a Hindu."

Consequently, while I believe that Hinduism does have representation of Hijras and the LGBTQ in it’s texts, the social stigma of the community overpowers old Hindu beliefs. The only time a “Hijra” can be welcomed to society is by denouncing sex and sacrificing her life to a God, which has not only stripped Hijras of a basic lifestyle, but also of their dreams and passions. Unfortunately, while Hinduism offers Hijras a place in society, it creates the expectation that Hijras should spend their whole lives in temples.

Moreover, upper class educated hindus tend to be more homophobic or transphobic because they stray away from pure Hinduism to a "modern western" lifestyle (ironically, even the west is moving ahead.)

Unfortunately, the lower classes tend to follow these norms.

NEVERTHELESS, HINDUISM IS A BEAUTIFUL RELIGION AND ONE OF THE ONLY ONES WITH POSITIVE LGBTQ+ REPRESENTATION. WHILE MODERN FACTORS SUCH AS THE CLASS SYSTEM OR COLONIAL INFLUENCE TEND TO STRAY AWAY FROM HINDU'S LGBTQ ACCEPTANCE, I TRULY BELIEVE PURE HINDUISM IS ON IT'S WAY TO SHINE THROUGH AND HELP INDIA GROW AS A FREE LGBT FRIENDLY COUNTRY.