Buddhist nun says ‘come out’
The Venerable Miao Jan, coordinator of the Buddhist Prajna Meditation Association in Kuala Lumpur, told an audience of 200 that gay people should “come out bravely and not live in the closet”.
The comments were made at a conference hosted by the Young Buddhist Association of Malaysia and the Buddhist Research Society of Malaysia.
At a seminar titled ‘Homosexuality: The Controversy in the Midst of Morality and Social Value’, Miao Jan, a prominent Buddhist nun, encouraged tolerance and understanding towards LGBTI people.
Miao Jan said that gays and lesbians should be able to live honestly in their sexuality.
“Let gay people talk about their love life. We could only respect them and learn how to get along with them,” she said.
Her comments were made in the midst of a conservative backlash against Malaysia’s first traditional Chinese lesbian wedding and the wedding celebration of MCC minister Reverend Ouyang Wen Feng and his American husband.
Miao Jan said such marriages were about the happiness of the couple, and as long as they broke no laws and fulfilled their responsibilities to each other, there was not a problem.
She was also asked whether she thought same-sex parenting was bad for society.
“How much happiness can straight families today guarantee their children? The divorce rate is high these days, and this should give us room for thought,” she said.
