Jodo Shinshu Center to hold ‘Being Gay, Being Buddhist’ event

BERKELEY, Calif. — The Jodo Shinshu Center will host a half-day seminar entitled “Being Gay, Being Buddhist” Saturday, June 28 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Actor and social justice activist George Takei is slated to serve as the keynote speaker, pending his availability.

The LGBTQ community and Shin Buddhism seminar will begin with registration and coffee at 9 a.m.

Pieper and Lois Toyama will give a speech entitled “Parenting Our LGBTQ Children.” Pieper Toyama is the head of school, emeritus of the Pacific Buddhist Academy in Honolulu, and the president of the Honpa Hongwanji Mission of Hawaii. Lois Toyama is the second vice president of the Hawaii Federation of Buddhist Women’s Associations.

The presenters are as follows:

• Hoshina Seki, president, American Buddhist Study Center in New York;

• Fred Pelger, Minister’s Assistant, Tacoma Buddhist Temple in Washington;

• Elaine Donlin, Minister’s Assistant, Buddhist Church of San Francisco; and

• the Rev. Kiyonobu Kuwahara, the co-director of the BCA’s Center for Buddhist Education.

Tickets costs $40 each. Registration is due by Friday, June 20. Limited seating will be available.

For more information, visit http://www.bcasites.net/LGBT+Community+Seminar.

The Jodo Shinshu Center is located at 2140 Durant Ave., Berkeley, Calif.