Art of Living’s Sri Sri Ravi Shankar faces backlash after ‘gay is a tendency’ comment at JNU

Sri Sri's response has left many a bit dumbfounded. His reply began well, asking the student stand his ground, but goes downhill from there on.

By: News Desk |
November 14, 2017 11:19 am

Right on the heels of Delhi’s 10th Pride Parade, comes a statement that has given pause to the jubilant celebrations. The Art of Living founder and spiritual leader, whose foundation made headlines last year after hosting festivities on the banks of the Yamuna in Delhi.

The spiritual leader was speaking at the annual Nehru Memorial Lecture at Jawaharlal Nehru University on November 13, when a student asked him how he ought to deal with the antipathy he dealt with at the hands of family and friends for his sexual orientation. The spiritual guru’s response has left many a bit dumbfounded. His reply began well, asking the student stand his ground, but goes downhill from there:

You treat yourself better, doesn’t matter how others treat you. You don’t think you are sick or something’s wrong with you. If you stand up, nobody can insult you… But if you feel weak and meek, and if you feel bad about yourself, nobody can make you feel better.

This is your tendency now. Just acknowledge it and accept it, and know that this tendency is not a permanent thing. It may change. I’ve seen many men who were gay, later on turn into heterosexuals, and there are those who are normal — what are called straight people — end up being gay later in life

To put it mildly, the statement has been met with anger. Calling homosexuality a tendency that might not be permanent has raised the hackles of those within the LGBT community as well as their allies.

Dear Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,

The joy of having sex with a hot man is always permanent. Loving another man also is. Being fabulously gay always is permanent.

Trust me, I would know.

Truly,
A homosexual. https://t.co/B4aOPzfxO7

— Vivek Tejuja (@vivekisms) November 14, 2017

And the winner of the Ramdev award for drooling idiocy is Sri Sri! https://t.co/kjev2Wt0CJ

— Swati Chaturvedi (@bainjal) November 14, 2017

What @srisri said at JNU https://t.co/NcKni3nyaj

Ques at 1:32:40 pic.twitter.com/nhy3TnjBpz

— Karnika Kohli (@KarnikaKohli) November 14, 2017

OMG kinda moment! https://t.co/E156reDqFf

— Alia Bhatt (@aliaa08) November 14, 2017

get with the program!!! https://t.co/Dpf6lDOcDe

— Sonam Kapoor (@sonamakapoor) November 14, 2017

This backlash has met with.. more backlash from some.

Nonsense. I was there. That is not complete. @srisri said he has seen tendencies change both way- gays to hetero/hetero to gays. Either way treat yourself well. Sexual orientation is only a small part of u.
Go beyond the body & explore the human soul.

Such liars you all are.

— shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) November 14, 2017

And the reference to change in sexual orientation was there because the question mentioned that the person had discovered his sexual orientation rather late and his friends make fun.

Sri Sri was emphasising it is normal to discover your self at anytime of life.

— shilpi tewari (@shilpitewari) November 14, 2017

Followers dont get swayed away by incomplete reporting. Watch the video and hear the complete answer. Its from 1 hr 32 mins onwards.https://t.co/jwmhfkG2uY

— Priyanka Bagaria (@Bagariaaol) November 14, 2017

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is scheduled to meet Home Minister Rajnath Singh today. They will be talking about the Ayodhya issue, for which Sri Sri has volunteered to act as a mediator. He will be travelling to Ayodhya on November 16.