Jainism isn’t some exclusive, members-only club. At its core, this faith rejects hierarchies, insists the soul (jīva) transcends material distinctions, and demands radical nonviolence (ahiṃsā). These principles were never meant to prop up oppressive norms; they were meant to dismantle them.
Yet, over the centuries—through colonial influence, Brahmanical patriarchy, caste-based discrimination, and capitalist pressures—many Jain institutions have strayed from this liberatory essence. They often exclude queer and trans people, ignore caste injustices, and reduce ahiṃsā to a narrow question of personal diet. This is not “tradition.” It’s a distortion.
Jain Scripture Recognizes Gender-Fluidity
For anyone claiming Jainism only acknowledges two genders, the scriptures say otherwise:
- Tattvārtha Sūtra (2.8)
“The soul is formless, beginningless, and unconditioned by material distinctions.”
If the soul itself has no gender, why would Jain institutions cling to binary norms?
- Uttarādhyayana Sūtra (9.49)
Souls cycle through male, female, and napuṃsaka (nonbinary or mixed-gender) forms across lifetimes.
This is not a modern innovation; it’s fundamental to Jain philosophy.
- Bhagavatī Sūtra (7.9)
Describes beings that embody both masculine and feminine traits simultaneously.
Clearly, Jain texts never insisted on a rigid gender binary. They acknowledge identity as fluid and ever-changing.
When contemporary communities claim queerness is a “Western import,” they’re ignoring their own scriptural heritage.
How Colonialism and Brahmanical Norms Hijacked Jainism
The exclusion of queer, trans, and other marginalized groups within Jain circles didn’t happen spontaneously. It’s the result of overlapping historical forces:
- British Colonialism — Colonial administrations imposed strict binary gender norms, policing sexuality and criminalizing queer behavior. Jain communities—like many others—internalized these oppressive frameworks, often mistaking them for “tradition.”
- Brahmanical Patriarchy — Jainism originally challenged caste-based oppression and patriarchal structures. Yet, over centuries, cultural blending and social pressures led many Jain communities to adopt the very hierarchies they were supposed to oppose.
- Capitalist and Elite Pressures — Obsession with wealth, status, and “respectability” has made some Jain institutions more interested in social clout than spiritual integrity. Queer and lower-caste Jains suffer the brunt of that exclusion.
In short, a once-radical tradition that preached equality and nonviolence has too often devolved into a gatekeeper of normative respectability.
Ahiṃsā Is More Than a Diet Plan
Many Jains reduce ahiṃsā to personal dietary choices—vegetarianism or veganism. While these can be valid expressions of nonviolence, ahiṃsā demands so much more:
- Social and Emotional Violence — Excluding queer and trans Jains from rituals or forcing them into heteronormative marriages is violence, plain and simple. Recognizing harm isn’t limited to physical acts.
- Caste and Class Oppression — If ahiṃsā truly means no harm, then tolerating systemic poverty, caste-based discrimination, or exploitative labor is hypocritical. You can’t call yourself nonviolent while ignoring structural abuses.
- Environmental Destruction — Jain ethics warn against parigraha (attachment), yet many wealthy Jain donors invest in industries that ravage the planet. That is not nonviolence; it’s complicity in large-scale harm.
“All living beings wish to live. None should be harmed.”
—Ācārāṅga Sūtra (1.2.3)
If we take this seriously, dismantle every institution, norm, and system that perpetuates suffering—even when it’s not as simple as changing what’s on our plate.
How do we move forward?
(a) Demand Institutional Accountability
- Inclusive Leadership: Temples, monastic orders, and community boards must open their ranks to queer and trans Jains—not as a token gesture, but as equal leaders and decision-makers.
- Overhaul Gender Norms: Dismantle gender-segregated rituals and patriarchal language that contradict the belief in a genderless soul.
(b) Build Alternative Spaces
- Lay-Led Sanghas: Form local or virtual study groups that interpret Jain teachings through a justice-oriented lens.
- Queer-Affirming Rituals: Conduct ceremonies that honor diverse identities, including those historically erased or sidelined.
- Intersectional Activism: Link Jain principles with anti-caste, anti-capitalist, and environmental movements to foster real change.
(c) Refuse Any Compromise on Inclusion
- If mainstream institutions won’t change, start new communities. That’s not a betrayal of Jainism—it’s a return to its original spirit.
- Recall that any Jain practice excluding marginalized people isn’t actually Jain—it’s a hollow performance of it.
The Danger of Hindutva and Capitalist Co-Optation
Right-wing nationalism (Hindutva) tries to subsume Jain identity under a majoritarian, anti-minority agenda. That’s a direct contradiction of Jainism’s core ethics. Similarly, unchecked capitalism exploits both humans and the environment, clashing with the Jain ideals of non-harm and moderation.
- Reject Hindutva: If you value nonviolence, you can’t support an ideology that demonizes Muslims, Dalits, or other marginalized groups.
- Question Capitalism: If you believe in non-attachment, you must oppose the glorification of billionaires and profit-at-any-cost policies.
Jainism should be an ally of the oppressed, not an accomplice to their oppression.
A Jainism Worth Fighting For
Today, Jain communities stand at a crossroads: either they live up to the radical potential of their own scriptures, or they continue hiding behind a distorted notion of “tradition” that serves the powerful. Ahiṃsā isn’t a private virtue; it’s a revolutionary ethic demanding we uproot all forms of violence—physical, emotional, structural, economic.
Jain philosophy says the soul is infinite, unbounded by gender. To deny anyone’s spiritual worth because of their gender identity or sexual orientation is heresy against the faith’s most basic tenets. We can either push existing institutions to reform or create new, inclusive communities ourselves.
Ultimately, Jainism belongs to everyone who recognizes that no being’s suffering is acceptable. If you claim to follow this tradition yet won’t stand by the queer, the trans, the Dalit, the laborer, the exploited—then admit you’re not practicing ahiṃsā.
Because real Jainism is about fighting harm in all its forms. It’s about challenging every system that profits from another’s pain. It’s about living with integrity, not just reciting ancient verses.
That’s the Jainism worth defending. Let’s honor that—or stop pretending this faith still stands for liberation.
For further reading, I recommend Jainism-Says.