Homosexuality and the Bahá'í Faith

Overview

The Bahá'í Faith has been described as a religion "ambiguous or contested on the issue of LGBT inclusion". The religion has a strong emphasis on traditional values found in Abrahamic religions, which promote chastity over homosexuality.

Bahá'í teachings state that Bahá'ís should not treat homosexual people as condemned outcasts, nor expect people who are not Bahá'í to follow Bahá'í laws. The Bahá'í writings teach adherents to treat everyone with respect and dignity, and an attitude of discrimination and social intolerance toward homosexuals is not supported by the Bahá'í teachings.

The opportunity for civil same-sex marriage was mentioned in a 2010 letter by the Universal House of Justice as being a public issue that is not in keeping with the Bahá'í teachings, but one that Bahá'ís "would neither promote nor necessarily oppose."

Homosexual Bahá'ís

Individuals who are openly homosexual are not prevented from entering the religion and joining in community life; however, someone involved in a same-sex marriage or union will be prevented from registering as a Baha'i and joining the community.

There is also recognition that becoming a Bahá'í is not conditional on complete and strict compliance with all Bahá'í standards and laws. Spiritual Assemblies are told to act patiently, and gradually persuade members to accept principles inwardly and “out of pure conviction and desire.” As a general rule, the Spiritual Assemblies do not get involved in the private lives of believers, unless their actions are considered to be causing some harm to the community.

An individual may be subject to administrative sanctions if their actions are decided by a Spiritual Assembly to be damaging to the image of the Bahá'í Faith. This response removes the right to contribute to funds, vote in elections for spiritual assemblies, hold office, or attend the Nineteen Day Feast. It may be applied to extreme cases of alcoholism, sexual promiscuity, and anything that is considered flagrant immorality. However, this consequence is meant only to be applied in cases of "public scandal", "very flagrant cases", or if the conduct of the Bahá'í is "seriously injuring the Faith in the eyes of the public". In cases of Bahá'ís who are flagrantly promiscuous, they are to be approached by a Spiritual Assembly and informed of the teachings on personal conduct. If after a probational period the person continues to present a disregard towards the laws in a public way, then the assembly may remove the person's administrative rights, "administratively expelled from membership in the Bahá'í community," though this action is not the same as ex-communication, as there is no directive to avoid fellowship with the individual.

In 2009 a Bahai set up the Gay and Lesbian Baha'i story project in which Lesbian and Gay Baha'is and others may share experiences they have had within the Baha'i community. As of February 2014 there are 68 stories there. The purpose of this website is: "To tell, listen to, and reflect upon stories of Gay/Lesbian Baha'is and their supportive friends/family."

Basis from texts

In one passage of the Kitáb-i-Aqdas, Bahá'u'lláh writes "we shrink, for very shame, from treating the subject of boys." In the context of the original Arabic text, this passage implies pederasty, or erotic relations between adult males and adolescent boys. Such practices were not uncommon during the time of Bahá'u'lláh in the Islamic world, and in some cases were socially acceptable - see bacha bazi. Bahá'u'lláh condemned such relations, and Shoghi Effendi, the authorized interpreter of the Bahá'í writings, has more clearly defined a prohibition on all homosexual relations, stating that, "No matter how devoted and fine the love may be between people of the same sex, to let it find expression in sexual acts is wrong. To say that it is ideal is no excuse. Immorality of every sort is really forbidden by Bahá'u'lláh, and homosexual relationships, He looks upon as such, besides being against nature."

Bahá'u'lláh clearly forbade fornication and adultery, referring to any form of premarital or extramarital sexual intercourse. The Universal House of Justice, in its notes on the text of the Kitab-i-Aqdas, stated that the Baha'i laws restrict "permissible sexual intercourse to that between a man and the woman to whom he is married".

Letters from the head of the religion

The head of the Bahá'í Faith, the Universal House of Justice, has addressed the issue in letters in recent years and brief excerpts:

May 9, 2014 to an individual

"The contemporary discussion surrounding homosexuality, which began in the West and is increasingly promoted in other parts of the world, generally takes the form of a false dichotomy, which compels one to choose between a position that is either affirming or rejecting."

"While Bahá’ís hold specific beliefs about human identity, sexuality, personal morality, and individual and social transformation, they also believe that individuals must be free to investigate truth and should not be coerced."

"To regard a person who has a homosexual orientation with prejudice or disdain is entirely against the spirit of the Faith. And where occasion demands, it would be appropriate to speak out or act against unjust or oppressive measures directed towards homosexuals."

"Just as Bahá’ís do not impose their views on others, they cannot relinquish their principles because of changing trends in popular thought."

April 23, 2013 letter to a National Spiritual Assembly

"…their ("institutions of the Faith") aim (should) be to raise consciousness and to increase understanding. Theirs is not the duty to pry into personal lives or to impose Bahá’í law on the individual…"

"Gossip and backbiting have no place in the Bahá’í community; nor do judgemental attitudes and self-righteousness."

April 19, 2013 letter to a group of individuals

"The result (of "the expenditure of enormous energy and vast amounts of resources in an attempt to bend truth to conform to personal desire") is a culture that distorts human nature and purpose, trapping human beings in pursuit of idle fancies and vain imaginings and turning them into pliable objects in the hands of the powerful. Yet, the happiness and well-being of humanity-depend upon the opposite: cultivating human character and social order in conformity with reality."

"(Bahá'u'lláh's) teachings serve, then, to empower humanity; they are the harbinger of human happiness, whose call, far from compelling obedience to an arbitrary and dictatorial regimen of behaviour, leads to true freedom."

"Throughout the world, in diverse cultures, Bahá’ís encounter values and practices that stand in sharp contrast to the teachings of the Faith. Some are embedded in social structures, for instance, racial prejudice and gender discrimination, economic exploitation and political corruption. Others pertain to personal conduct, especially with respect to the use of alcohol and drugs, to sexual behaviour, and to self-indulgence in general."

"The institutions of the Faith, for their part, strive to ensure that such an environment ("in which a spirit of unity animates one and all") is fostered. They do not pry into the personal lives of individuals. Nor are they vindictive and judgemental, eager to punish those who fall short of the Bahá’í standard."

Changing homosexual orientation

Shoghi Effendi, the appointed head of the religion from 1921 to 1957, taught that "through the advice and help of doctors, through a strong and determined effort, and through prayer, a soul can overcome this handicap." Anyone who is not able to have a heterosexual marriage is encouraged to remain celibate, as would any person who does not marry and is a Bahá'í.

The concept of homosexuality as a disease in need of a cure has been dismissed by American mental health professionals. However, the Universal House of Justice, the elected governing body of the Bahá'í Faith, has stated that "the Faith does not recognize homosexuality as a 'natural' or permanent phenomenon." The Universal House of Justice has approved of and encouraged Shoghi Effendi's idea of possible medical treatment, and has written its own correspondence to individuals, encouraging them to divert thoughts into spiritual channels and the nature of man, and to "resist wayward impulses each time they arise".

The Universal House of Justice responds to recent research that claims that homosexuality is innate and not changeable by asserting that homosexuality is one of

"many problems, both physical and psychological. Some are the result of the individual’s own behaviour, some are caused by the circumstances in which he grew up, some are congenital... homosexuality is an abnormality, is a great problem for the individual so afflicted, and... he or she should strive to overcome it."

It also argues that statistics may be distorted due to underreporting, that other genetic predispositions to undesirable behaviors exist, and that other types of bias may exist in the present-day research.