From: Sam_Damon <damon@dorsai.dorsai.org>
Date: Sat, 3 Sep 1994 03:38:15 -0400 (edt)

> Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 15:27:29 CDT
> From: Ed Gould <edgould@is.rpslmc.edu>
> Subject: Quuer friendly religions
> 
> Can anyone point me in the direction to a list of gay friendly religions? 
> I am in the middle of a discussion (email) and have been challenged to
> come up with a few examples. The only one I can think of is the
> Episcapalians(questionable at best).

Here is some information on Buddhism, Islam and Judaism.  I also offer some
sketchy opinion on Hinduism although it is hardly authoritative, and may
even be inaccurate.

===============

Of the world's major religions, only Buddhism is gay friendly.  The Dalai
Lama has expressed this openness in an interview in OUT magazine, which is
available on the Electronic Newstand.  I also uploaded the piece here about
a month ago.  This what The Alyson Almanac, my bible for lesbigay info,
writes:  ("Church Policies on Gay Concerns" pp 234-239):

"Alone among the major world religions, Buddhism does not condemn
homosexuality or premarital sex.  The emphasis on Buddhism is on achieving a
state of enlightenment, but the religion provides only guidelines, not
strict commandments, as to how individuals should strive for this.  Rape and
adultery are considered misconduct, but an individual is free to engage in
consenting sexual acts that do not violate marital or monastic commitments.

Buddhist countries tend to have few social and legal prohibitions against
homosexuality.  Some, such as Thailand, are surprisingly free of
homophobia."

Here's some brief excerpts on what it says about other major world
religions, otehr than Christianity, which I will cover in another message:

Islam: "The Moslem religion has a long tradition of severly proscribing
homosexuality in theory, but winking at it in practice.  Islamic law
distinguishes strongly between public and private acts.  Muslims are
expected to marry, and both homosexuality and adultery are condemned.  But
in actual practice, it is only public homosexual acts that are punished ...
Islam culture also differentiates between the active and passive partner in
gay male sex, ascribing much more dishonor to the latter."

Judaism: "Because Jewish congregations vary so widely in questions of
doctrine and policy, there is no single Jewish policy regarding
homosexuality.  Orthodox synagogues have genrally taken a dim view ... The
Conservative branch ... for many years held back from dealing with gay
issues, but in 1990 it voted to recognize ... equality ... regardless of
their sexual orientation.  Reform Judaism, which is the largest branch of
American Judaism, has alos been the most progressive.  ...  The Central
Conference of American Rabbis has also encouraged 'legislation which
decriminalizes homosexual acts between consenting adults, and prohibits
discrimination against them as persons.  In 1990, Reform Judaism went even
further, officially voting to accept sexually active homosexuals as rabbis."

There was unfortunately no information listed for Hinduism.  If I remember
the Bhagava Vita correctly, however, it is very sexist and heterosexist. 
One of the heavenly rewards for leading a good earthly existence, for
example, is a multitude of dancing girls.  Although that may be wonderful
for heterosexual men and lesbians, it probably wouldn't do much for gay men.