Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday, July 26, said that the LGBTQ+ community is a part of the society and deserves “dignity and equal place.”
Speaking at an event on ‘contemporary motherhood’ organised by Vishwa Mangalya Sabha in Hyderabad, Bhagwat said LGBTQ+ community should not be looked down upon.
“LGBTQ+ and all these communities exist. Such tendencies are present in society. Some are innate, determined by nature itself; neither we nor they can do anything about it — that is simply how they were born. However, some are acquired later due to mindset, or arise from physical inclinations. Since this phenomenon exists worldwide, we cannot claim it was absent here; we are human too, and it existed among us as well,” ANI quoted Bhagwat as saying.
He said that our tradition has acknowledged their existence, “noting that while some might be curable, those that are not, they are human beings too and have a right to live.”
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana: RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat says, “LGBTQ+ and all these communities exist. Such tendencies are present in society. Some are innate, determined by nature itself; neither we nor they can do anything about it—that is simply how they were born. However,… pic.twitter.com/zJvTSZDfJk
— ANI (@ANI) July 26, 2026
“They are not ostracized from society; there is a place for them within the vast tapestry of social life. We are taught not to view them with a sense of inferiority… Rather than making unnecessary noise or fanfare about these matters, we handled them quietly to ensure society maintained a sympathetic attitude toward them. We made proper, discreet arrangements, recognizing them as integral parts of our own society,” he added.
The RSS Chief further stated that marriage is a discipline which instils dharma, while the reality of live-in relationships could be seen all over the world.
“Marriage is a discipline which instils dharma. Its alternative is live-in relationship. Modernity. What are its consequences? We don’t want responsibilities but happiness. Stay together when it is wanted and part ways when not wanted. No responsibilities. What will grow with it? What is growing, look around the world,” PTI quoted him as saying.
Noting that modernity is needed and changing with times is also a rule in the country’s traditions, Bhagwant referred to live-in relationships as blind imitation of Western culture.