[mazabotman]

I have read a few books that touch on the subject of homosexuality and buddhism. One was titled "Lust for Enlightenment: Buddhism and Sex" by John Stevens. I myself identify as a gay man, so this is of particular interest to me.

They detail the extensive and particularly refined culture of socially accepted homosexuality between monks in japanese monasteries.

The Dalai Lama himself has flip-flopped on this issue. I recall him once referring to homosexuality as sexual misconduct, but then in a later statement saying that buddhism does not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation.

**Particularly open to other approaches to this topic**

The LGBT question is particularly interesting when you question these notions of self. Sexual orientation is incredibly personal to most people. Indeed, there is much paranoia trumped up by amateur psychologists about the phenomena of "sublimation" and "repression". But that aside. What does it mean to take such a deep part of someone's identity and surrender it to the scrutiny of insight meditation?

I also factor in my knowledge of certain studies that indicate that sublimated conflicts of sexual orientation and/or gender identity can result in psychosis. No, aloka, I can't site those studies, but it's still an interesting prospect.