Queer Sesxuality- Myths Busted 8

(This post is a part of the series Queer Sexuality-Myths Busted. A small, not all inclusive research project i did in college. I am hereby presenting a few portions of that research work so that more and more people become aware of Queer Sexuality and start seeing it in positive light.)

Religious and Mythological references to Queer

In the next few posts we will read about the religious and mythological references to queer. 

Traditional Hindu literary sources do not speak of homosexuality directly, but changes of sex, homoerotic encounters, and inter sex or third gender characters are often found both in traditional religious narratives such as the Vedas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and Puranas as well as in regional folklore.

Hindu mythology has many examples of deities changing gender, manifesting as different genders at different times, or combining to form androgynous or hermaphroditic beings. Gods change sex or manifest as an Avatar f the opposite sex in order to facilitate sexual congress. Non-divine beings also undergo sex-changes through the actions of the gods, as the result of curses or blessings, or as the natural outcome of reincarnation.

Hindu mythology contains numerous incidents where sexual interactions serve a non-sexual, sacred purpose; in some cases, these are same-sex interactions. Sometimes the gods condemn these interactions but at other times they occur with their blessing.

Many deities in Hinduism and Indian mythology are represented as both male and female at different times and in different incarnations or may manifest with characteristics of both genders at once, such as Ardhanarishwara, created by the merging of the god Shiva and his consort Parvati. The name Ardhanarishvara means "The Lord whose half is a woman"

A similar merger occurs between the beauty and prosperity goddess Lakshmi and her husband Vishnu, forming the hermaphrotitic or androgynous Lakshmi-Narayana. In the Bhagvat Purana Vishnu takes the form of the enchantress, Mohini, in order to trick the demons into giving up Amrita- the elixir of life. He cites another story to show that only Vishnu has the power to "enchant" Shiva: a demon tries to kill Shiva by taking the form of a woman (placing sharp teeth in "his" vagina). Shiva recognizes the impostor and kills the demon by the placing a "thunderbolt" on his "manhood" during their act of "lovemaking"