[Pantyholic]

Slamet Susanto, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Access to prayer, transcendence and feeling closer to God are the religious rights of every human being.

However, in practice, it seems that heterosexuals maintain a monopoly over access to these needs in many places of worship.

But what about people with same-sex orientation, like lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transsexuals (LGBT)?

Often labeled by society as sexual deviants, LGBT are often left out of religious rituals and are discriminated against. They are also often refused entry to places of worship.

Arief, 30, a transvestite from East Java who has been living in Yogyakarta for more than 10 years, for example, had to sneak into the mosque secretly every time he wanted to perform tarawih (a special evening prayer performed during Ramadan).

"I had to come secretly. I wore a sarong and joined the men's congregation. Some of my friends wore mukena (the prayer cloak for Muslim women) and joined the women's congregation in secret," Arief said.

Often, Arief and his friends were turned away by the mosques they tried to enter.

"Even though we are transvestites, we also need to pray to God and we need to join rituals," he said.

"We are also human beings who have eyes and hearts. We are also human beings who need to pray to God," said Arief, quoting the lyrics of a popular song.

Upon hearing about discrimination against transvestites who wished to perform their religious obligations, Maryani, 51, opened Ponpes Waria, a Muslim school for transvestites in July........

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[Alison]

In God's eyes we are all equal.
It's just that some of us are MORE equal than others!

(Excuse me paraphrasing the Russian General when asked about Communism.
It just seems so very apt in this situation).

[anitalace]

lets all be more tolerent !!!!!!!!!!!

xxx

[MickeyCD]

In my opinion, organized religion has little or nothing to do with one's spirituality or relationship with God, by whatever name you call him. Religion is and has always been about power. Power over others and what is perceived as stewardship over the masses. It is like Mark Twain said in his book "An American Abroad." "Lord, save us from the zealots."

Much of what has happened to the Catholic priesthood is built on the dogma that only single people can act as leaders of the Church. It was organized religion of the first century that wanted a prostitute stoned to death for her actions rather than reach out to the soul of that person and lift her up.

Remember the saying, "Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." In all of history, money and power were the two halves of the evil whole. Well, I can go on but suffice to say that those poor souls will find more consolation through prayer than to try to enter some building or belong to some organization.