Buddhism and transgendered people

Shravasti Dhammika has a really nice post at dhamma musings titled "Transgendered People and Buddhism" that I highly recommend. His blog is also in my list of blogs I follow. Along that same subject is the site Transgender and Buddhism, a Web site maintained by the International Transgender Buddhist Sangha. To be able to peruse the entire site, you must register and become a member. It has tons of great material, including some very cool videos on chanting as well as videos of a variety of Buddhist teachers commenting on many topics, not just topics specific to transgender issues.

It's unfortunate that there is prejudice and misunderstanding surrounding transgendered people, let alone that which surrounds homosexuality in general. And what really bugs me at times is when I encounter such attitudes within the gay community. Forums like these are really important for the community because there is a lot of despair that comes along with one's personal realization of his or her sexuality. It is difficult enough to come to an understanding of one's sexuality when one is gay, but the challenge of reconciliation within oneself when the inside of you and the outside of you conflict can be enormous when the world around you dismisses your conflict as mental confusion. If we really believe in the bodhisatvva vow of ending suffering for all beings, sometimes the best place to start is with a smile and an outreached hand.