Hello, everyone. Thank you for having me.

My name is Bernice, and I’m going to speak to you today

about ____________________.

LGBTQ+, an acronym for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer and many more. This
community was created when people discovered their own ideals towards their sexualities and
identities. The introduction of LGBTQ to the public raised many opinions. Some were friendly and
accepted them, supporting the new-found members, some even related and joined the community,
On the other hand, objections and concern was also shown by other citizens. No matter if the reason
was religion, opinion, or experience, fair amounts of people started discriminating against LGBTQ.
Let us take a closer view and understand why this is happening.

Before LGBTQ was discovered, the humans on earth had a tradition. Males and females
should be married, while same gendered couples were unheard of and often referred as best
friends. But after LGBTQ was discovered, many broke that tradition. Males marrying males, females
marrying females, males portrait feminine and females portrait masculine. Transgender males and
females started appearing all over. Others expressed their preferred partner’s gender, male, female,
or both. People who couldn’t decide on their gender called themselves non-binary. And new
discoveries regarding them started appearing with the gradual increase of the population. Now this
is where the hate comes in.

People started announcing their relation to the LGBTQ, as referred to in the modern slang ---
coming out. Maybe on social media or in person, or even through letters. So why do people dislike
them? To some, it’s like being introduced to new society, an unfamiliar society. Some traditional
seniors disapprove due to the conditions they were brought up in, they would feel its abnormal and
threatening. For example, you are used to hearing cats’ meow and dogs’ bark. What if one day cats
start barking and panting and dogs started meowing and licking their fur? Of course, it will feel
strange and out of place. But not all elderly think that way, some are excited and accepting when
informed . As for those who feel confused towards them, they might think it’s a temporary change
or side effects of rebellion and push them away.

Other reasons of hate might be from race, culture, or religion. Some religions do not allow
the people to support LGBTQ, nor become a member of them. But that doesn’t mean they are
allowed to hate them.

According to the Pali Canon and Agama, there is nothing saying that same or opposite
gender relations have anything to do with sexual misconduct, and some Theravadin monks express
that same-gender relations do not violate the rule to avoid sexual misconduct, which means not
having sex with someone under-age, someone betrothed or married and who have taken vows of
religion celibacy. The renowned Thien Buddhist master, Thich Nhat hanh, remarked that the spirit of
Buddhism is inclusiveness and stated that “When you look at the ocean, you see different kinds of
waves, many sizes, and shapes, but all the waves have water as their foundation and substance. If
you are born gay or lesbian, your ground of being in the same as mine. We are different, but we
share the same ground of being. Soka Gakkai International-USA (SGI-USA) is the most diverse
Buddhist community in the United States with more than %00 chapters and some 100 centers
throughout the country support LGBT rights. American Soka Gakkai Buddhists have performed same-
sex union ceremonies since the 90s. In a PEW research poll, 88% of American Buddhists stated that
homosexuality should be accepted. This was a higher-level support than any other religious group
studied.
 Some believe marriage between man and woman is the ability to produce offsprings. Same
gendered marriages are unable to do so, which causes some to dislike the idea as it is not beneficial
to produce future generations, nor is it proper. But love should not be limited to just producing
offspring, it should be a deep connection between two humans. That’s what LOVE is. Love has no
boundaries.

No matter the course of discrimination, people should remember everyone has opinions and
it is okay to express them. Sometimes you must be accepting of the other’s opinions. If everyone can
come to an agreement, LGBTQ or not, people can once again co-exist in harmony.