Stay active in your community!
^nofth
& soutl
CAROLIN
Pennsylvania lesbian mom
granted visitation rights 21
Q-Style:
A look at fashion trends 24
Big Screen: Sandra
Bullock back in‘Miss
Congeniality 2’ 33
North and South
Carolina
North Carolina:
Comedian Stuart to hit
Raleigh nightlife scene 08
South Carolina:
Anti-same-sex union bill
headed for senate 10
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VOLUME ±9 . ISSUE 24
SINCE WWW.Q-NOTES.COM
APRIL 9.2005
What's up with the Dalai Lama?
Spiritual leader admits he has no
knowledge of Buddha commenting
on same-sex activity
by Steve Pesidnd
and Donald Miller
He's one of the most revered spiritual
leaders in the world and the recipient of a
Nobel Peace Prize. He’s the author of such
inspiring words of wisdom as “The Art of
Happiness” and “Imagine All the People.”
He’s addressed heads of state worldwide and
continues to seek justice for the people of his
native Tibet.
But, despite all his wisdom and compas
sion, the Dalai Lama apparently cannot
imagine gays and lesbians leading fulfilling,
happy and ethical lives.
Although he says that no real love
between people can be condemned and that
any discrimination and violence based on
sexual orientation must end, the Dalai Lama
nevertheless persists in considering the natu
ral expressions of gay and lesbian sexual ori
entation as “wrong,” “unwholesome,” a “bad
action” and as “vices.”
In an interview with the French magazine
Dimanche, the Dalai Lama says of gay and
lesbian sexuality:
“It’s part of what we Buddhists call “bad
sexual conduct. Sexual organs were created
for reproduction between the male element
and the female element — and everything
that deviates from that is not acceptable from
a Buddhist point of view.”
In the same interview, he specifically said
he was “for” (heterosexual) sex with con
doms or the pill. That is, it’s fine for hetero
sexuals to have non-procreative, recreational
sex — as long as it doesn’t involve foreplay
with other areas of the body.
A Newsweek article on the Dalai Lama
entitled “Lama to the Globe" stated that,
“Although he has affirmed the dignity and
rights of gays and lesbians, he has con
demned homosexual acts as contrary to
Buddhist ethics.”
In the past decade he has repeatedly stat
ed in publications, in public talks and in
international press interviews, that non-vagi-
nal sex is “wrong and against Buddhist
ethics” for any human being “of good faith,”
not just gay and lesbian Buddhists.
While the Dalai Lama is not a Buddhist
version of the Pope and makes no claims of
infallibility, he cannot speak authoritatively
for other Buddhist teaching lineages, such as
Theravada and Zen. Nevertheless, he is per
haps the most well-known Buddhist in the
world and he may well be the most prolific
Buddhist author, given the number of publi
cations issued yearly under his name. He fre
quently comments internationally on world
issues from the perspective of Buddhist
teachings, unfortunately sometimes with no
When asked if the Buddha gave teachings
prohibiting same-sex partners, the Dalai
Lama replied, "I don't know."
historical qualifications for the Tibetan
Buddhist or Indian cultural context of his
remarks.
He often speaks “for himself beyond tra-
see DAlAlon 18
Charlotte man
raises profile of AIDS
organization
.Rodney Tucker impacts Charlotte in more ways than one
by Donald Miller
1 f
T
Rodney Tucker on Take
Over Fridays: 'We're
just about having fun
and helping to build
ahemolTve activities for
gays and lesbians in
Charlotte.'
Rodney TUcker says he’s a
boomeranger. That means — according to
a recent survey by the Charlotte Observer —
he grew up here, moved away and then
came back.
After spending four years in D.C.,
Hicker, 37, now calls the gay-popular
Sedgefield neighborhood home. Since
returning he eventually picked up the
reins at Regional AIDS Interfaith Network
(RAIN) as director of development and
communications.
“RAIN Is a faith-based AIDS service
provider that offers assistance and help
for individuals and families affected by
HIV and AIDS,” explains Hicker. “Our
services are offered through care teams
that come from
churches, syna- see TUCKERon 4
Mary Cheney to
pen memoir
Vice President's lesbian daughter previously mum
on personal life
by Mark Smith
After five years of silence
regarding her personal life,
her relationship with her
partner Mary Poe and her
thoughts about the Republican
Party, Vice President Dick
Cheney’s daughter Mary has
signed on to publish a mem
oir for a new “conservative
division” of Simon &
Schuster.
According to a press re
lease from Threshold/Simon &
Schuster, the book is Mary
Cheney’s first opportunity to
address the issues that she
has so clearly dodged during
her father’s terms of office.
Mary Matalin, a Republican political
strategist and the head of the Simon &
iry Cheney signed
khuster's new "co
with Simon
conservative
see VICE on 17