Question #1:

I am a gay man and was curious as to what, if any position, the Freemasons have regarding gay men joining.  Are there other members who are also gay? 

Questions #2:

To what extent is a Mason required to explain his belief in a “Supreme Being"and is that term expansive enough to include a sincerely held belief in the notion of a “collective human spirit” that co-exists with the physical world?

Thanks in advance for your guidance on these issues.

Freemasonry is not interested in a man’s personal life, particularly with respect to sexual orientation. Marital status, etc. do not enter into consideration. Each individual state Grand Lodge has their own requirements for joining, there is no one “official” position on this subject that can be applied universally.

The only (allegedly) gay man, I ever heard of who was a Mason, was the late J.Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI, and 33rd degree. Whether he was truly of this orientation, is a matter best left to history.

Masonry accepts men of many different and varying religious beliefs. Only an avowed atheist may not be accepted into Masonry. How each man defines the “supreme being”, is a matter left to the individual human conscience. There are Christian Masons, Jewish Masons, Muslim mason, and masons of no particular organized religious theology.

I suggest that you take your questions to the Grand Lodge in your state of residence. I can only answer in the most general and unspecific terms. What applies in North Dakota, may not apply in South Carolina.

Send me a PM, and I will assist you in contacting the Grand Lodge in your state. Or you may google “Grand Lodge of [state]”, and go from there.

I have known several openly homosexual men in Masonry.  Each has had their own qualifications for success in this Fraternity.  Sexual orientation does not, should not, enter into the equation.  I wish you the best in your pursuits.