Spiritual Inclusivity

After three years apart due to the pandemic, I finally saw my younger brother Cole last autumn. Cole is transgender and his journey over the past decade hasn’t been an easy one for him. It takes courage, sincerity, and perseverance to be oneself in a society that is often quick to judge those who don't conform to rigid gender expectations. I am proud of Cole and inspired by his authenticity.

My hope for the future is that regardless of gender identity, anyone who encounters a Hare Krishna community (or grows up within one like Cole did) will be warmly welcomed and included. After all, the Bhagavad Gita teaches that we are eternal souls, temporarily encased in material bodies. Each soul is inherently loveable to the Supreme Person and therefore equally deserving of our kindness and respect. To disrupt another soul's spiritual journey is a great tragedy.

At the end of the day, we can’t be anyone except ourselves. Krishna tells Arjuna in the Bhagavad Gita that everyone must act according to their own nature and repression accomplishes nothing. As singer Sammy Davis Jr. put it, “what else can I be but what I am?” Thank you, Cole, for being you!