Stiletto heels, colorful outfits and glamorous makeup are not things one would expect to see in a monk. Buddhist Konto Nishimura, however, managed to overcome social prejudices, proving that life is not only black and white but includes all the colors of the rainbow.
Konto grew up in a temple in < strong> Tokyo , where his father is a Buddhist priest. However, even if he accepted the faith of his family, he did not feel any desire to follow in the footsteps of his parents, as his heart longed for something else.
As he admitted in an interview, he admired the dynamic protagonists from Disney movies and Japanese anime from an early age, because they proved that women can break away from the quiet and naive stereotypes, adding: “I pretended to be her princess Disney. I wrapped a cloth around my hair to make it look long and wore my mother's skirt while singing the songs of Beauty and the Beast “.
Konto Nishimura realized that he was attracted to boys when he was 3 years old. His mother also had a premonition of his sexual identity two years later when he once told her she was a girl. “When I was growing up in Japan, it was difficult to be gay. “I was constantly seeing LGBTQ characters being portrayed in the media as bad, so I was very scared of how people would treat me if I was telling the truth,” he said.
Condo's love of art and Broadway musicals brought him to New York, where he graduated from the Fine Arts Program at the Parsons School of Design. Life in America greatly influenced his views on gender and sexuality: “Many people in Parsons were part of the LGBTQ community. “They really encouraged me to show who I really am, by showing me how to live fearlessly.”
At the age of 24, Konto announced to his parents that he felt masculine and feminine at the same time, and to his great surprise, they asked him to live as he wished, while supporting him in his every decision.
Konto Nishimura bought the first beauty products when Japan won the title of Miss World in 2007: “I started to feel inferior to my nationality and compared myself to others. Miss Universe 2007, Rio Mori, gave me hope that nationality could not be an excuse to feel that way. “She liked to put on dark makeup to accentuate her Asian eyes and that's when I finally decided to try the makeup on myself,” she told Bright Side in a recent interview.
Condo bought his first eyeliner and mascara and learned how to use them, in a video he was making on YouTube. This particular experience opened his eyes as he mentioned and he felt that he could become whoever he wanted.
Shortly afterwards he became an assistant to a New York-based makeup artist and from that moment on, his career took off. To date, he has managed to work with leading beauty brands, while he was and was invited to an episode of Queer Eye. But he never stops fighting for the rights of the LGBTQ community, giving speeches and make-up seminars to inspire people.
But Buddhism has always been one of the most important chapters in life and the starting point all, so at some point he wanted to learn more.
Condo Nishimura admitted that he was skeptical of their faith when he was younger, but his mother's wise words made him reconsider: “If you want to say that you do not like Mozart's music, you have to play his music and studies the composition well. Then you can criticize with knowledge “.
To understand Buddhism, Condo began training as a monk and spent endless hours each day until, at some point, he said, he lost his voice. He also sought the guidance of his father, who told him that his sexuality was not a problem and that he could wear whatever he wanted, because their religion respected everyone equally, regardless of race or sexuality.
Now Condo can preach equality, whether he wears a monk's clothes or a shiny dress, and states: “I use fashion and beauty as tools to encourage people to express themselves without apology.” >
At the same time, as a proud member of LGBTQ + community, fights for laws that will protect equality: “I would like to see the recognition of same-sex marriage. “Recently, some steps have been taken in many areas, but it is not recognized as an official wedding by the country.” Konto, through his recognizability, hopes to inspire world leaders to better understand diversity, so that one day, people can live without fear.
Condo hopes that his bold actions will incite others to “listen to their hearts and find the courage to follow what he tells them” and concludes: “Freedom of expression is a right that must be available to all. I want to contribute to the world, so that people feel safe and healthy enough to pursue their dreams and shine with their own color “.
protothema.gr
