India, July 3 -- The spiritual persona of the Dalai Lama can well be considered an icon for gender fluidity, a top researcher at an Australian university has theorised. Stephen Kerry underlines that the Dalai Lama, one of the top temporal heads in Buddhism, is considered the manifestation of Avalokitesvara, the godly being "who hears the cries of the world".

Known as Chenrezig in Tibet, Guanyin in China, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japan, Avalokitesvara originated in India as a man, but can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being in religious iconography. This gender fluidity has led to Avalokitesvara being revered as a trans icon in the West, writes Stephen Kerry, lecturer in sociology at Charles Darwin University.

Convers...