Ancient Hindu texts reveal a complex, often contradictory, history of gender and sexuality

Health · Published 19 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: While modern laws once criminalized homosexuality in India, ancient Hindu scriptures tell a much more nuanced story. From deities who transformed between genders to a recognized 'third nature,' the historical relationship between Hindu tradition and LGBTQ+ identities is a tapestry of divine fluidity and strict social codes.

Hinduism possesses a long-standing concept of a 'third nature' (tṛtīya-prakṛti), a category encompassing individuals with mixed male and female characteristics, including transgender, intersex, and androgynous people. Ancient medical and religious texts document this third gender as equal to others. In some traditions, these individuals were even attributed a semi-divine status, with their participation in religious ceremonies considered auspicious.

This fluidity is mirrored in Hindu mythology, where deities and heroes frequently undergo gender transformations, such as the hero Arjuna, who lived as the dance teacher Brihannala for one year following a curse. However, this spiritual fluidity exists alongside rigid social and moral prohibitions. Various legalistic commentaries, such as the Manusmriti and the Arthashastra, established severe penalties for certain sexual acts.

The Manusmriti, for instance, prescribed fines and physical punishments, such as shaving a woman's head or cutting off fingers, for specific acts of lesbianism. Other texts, like the Mahābhārata, expressed disapproval of non-vaginal sex, with certain verses suggesting such acts could lead to being born impotent. In the modern era, these tensions have been complicated by colonial influence. British laws introduced in 1860 effectively criminalized homosexuality in India, a legal framework that persisted until the Supreme Court of India decriminalized homosexual intercourse in 2018. Today, perspectives remain diverse: while a 2019 survey found that 22% of Hindus in India believe same-sex relationships should be accepted, a much higher 88% of the Hindu diaspora in the United States support legal same-sex marriage.

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