The Dalai Lama apologized Monday morning after a disturbing video of him kissing a child on the lips and asking him to suck his tongue went viral on social media.
The Tibetan Buddhist “spiritual leader”, who has also been critiqued heavily for being a non-vegan, which is hypocritical and in total opposition of his message of peace, expressed his apologies to the boy and his family, “as well as his many friends across the world, for the hurt his words may have caused,” according to a statement by his office. “His Holiness often teases people he meets in an innocent and playful way, even in public and before cameras. He regrets the incident,” it added. The statement did not reference the kiss.
PAVE Founder Angela Rose said, “As a survivor of sexual abuse and advocate for over two decades, I am deeply disturbed by the actions of his holiness the Dalai Lama as well as his lack of accountability by minimizing his repulsive actions. This is sending shockwaves of dread through the millions of survivors that we serve. Countless survivors seek solace and healing through their faith, and witnessing a global faith leader perpetrate sexual abuse is not ‘playful,’ it’s a travesty and minimizing this behavior is extremely traumatizing for our community.”
Promoting Awareness Victim Empowerment is a 501c3 charity that is leading the national movement in shattering the silence of sexual violence with education, advocacy and support for survivors.
Promoting Awareness | Victim Empowerment (PAVE) is a national nonprofit with headquarters in Chicago that works to both prevent sexual assault and help survivors heal through advocacy, education, and survivor support. For over two decades, PAVE has trained hundreds of thousands students, athletes, military service members, and maintains chapters across the world. PAVE has reached millions through social and traditional media including: NBC, CNN, FOX News, CBS News, ABC News, The Today Show, Good Morning America, USA Today, and TIME. ShatteringTheSilence.org