Sexuality, Power and Identity: A Study of the Intersection between Sexuality and Faith in the LGBT Buddhist Community.

The research focuses on the practice of Buddhism in Britain from an LGBTQ+ perspective, representing an in-depth study of the LGBTQ+ Buddhist community which combines sociological research methods with textual analysis. The aim of this project is to explore the intersection between the sociology of religion/spirituality, the sociology of sexuality and Buddhist studies, highlighting a timely, relevant interpretation of Buddhist insight, which will contribute significantly to the field of modern faith studies. This project uses a layered qualitative methodology to provide a more diverse understanding of Buddhism in Britain, paying close attention to the nuances surrounding the practices, rituals, and lived-experiences of LGBTQ+ practitioners. To achieve this, the research presents the perspectives of the Buddhist institutions themselves, their respective spiritual leaders, and self-defined LGBT lay practitioners as the focus of its academic narrative. This provides an important lens for the analysis of Western Buddhist institutions with regards to the diversity of the organisational leadership and its subsequent relationship to LGBT issues.