RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said members of the LGBTQ+ community are an integral part of society and should be treated with dignity rather than being excluded. Speaking at an event in Hyderabad, Bhagwat said Indian traditions have historically recognised gender and sexual diversity and made space for such communities.
"LGBTQ+ and all these communities exist. Such tendencies are present in society. Some are innate, determined by nature itself. That is simply how they were born. Some are acquired later due to mindset or physical inclinations," he said. Bhagwat stressed that people from the LGBTQ+ community should not be ostracised. "Our tradition acknowledges their existence. They are human beings too and have a right to live. They are not ostracised from society; there is a place for them within the vast tapestry of social life," he said.
Referring to India's cultural traditions, Mohan Bhagwat said such communities have long been recognised in religious and social life. "Even today, they have their own deities, shrines and Mahamandaleshwars who participate in the Kumbh Mela," he said. He added that Indian society had traditionally approached the issue with compassion, recognising LGBTQ+ individuals as part of the broader social fabric.
This is not the first time the RSS chief has spoken in support of the community's right to live with dignity. In a 2023 interview with an RSS-affiliated publication, Bhagwat had said, "LGBTQ+ people should have their own private and social space as they are humans and have the right to live as others." He had also cited Hindu scriptures and mythology to argue that Indian civilisation had historically accommodated such communities.
Mohan Bhagwat has previously described homosexuality as a social reality that should not be sensationalised. At a 2019 book launch, he cited figures such as Shikhandi from the Mahabharata to argue that gender and sexual diversity have long existed in Indian society.
