The Dalai Lama is totally fine with gay marriage
JEFF J MITCHELL/Getty Images
This year's pride parade might have found its grand marshal: the Dalai Lama. The Buddhist monk told Ora.TV's Larry King yesterday that he's okay with the same-sex unions as long as "both sides fully agree" to it. In the comprehensive interview, the religious leader also condemned homophobia and said he doesn't have a problem with gay sex.
The Dalai Lama, who is celibate himself, said what people do in their own time is their "individual business." He also blasted bullying and abuse toward gays as a "violation of human rights." The Nobel Peace Prize winner said people should abide by their own religion's rules. "People who have belief or who have special traditions, then you should follow according to your own tradition. Like Buddhism, there are different kinds of sexual misconduct, so you should follow properly."
The news came during a trip to Washington D.C., where the Dalai Lama led the customary prayer that opens every Senate session.
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Jordan Valinsky is the lead writer for Speed Reads. Before joining The Week, he wrote for New York Observer's tech blog, Betabeat, and tracked the intersection between popular culture and the internet for The Daily Dot. He graduated with a degree in online journalism from Ohio University.
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