Keisuke Lee-Miyaki was born and raised in Tokyo, Japan, who’s ordained by Hongwanji, Kyoto, in 2006 as a Pure Land Buddhist Priest, and endorsed by Buddhist Churches of America in 2018, as a Minister’s Assistant. Following the first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at California Pacific Medical Center in 2015, he completed his CPE residency 2017-2018 at the Oncology/Hematology Unit of UCSF Medical Center. Currently, he is working at Sojourn Chaplaincy at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and Trauma Center for providing emotional/spiritual care to staff and the most vulnerable population in the city. His primary practice is deep listening and sutra chanting meditation. He holds a Master of Arts, Pure Land Buddhist Studies from Ryukoku University in Kyoto and currently pursuing a certificate from the Buddhist Chaplaincy program at Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley.

A diagnosis of HIV in 2012 changed his life. He struggled with his internalized homophobia, cultural and linguistic barriers, and his grief. He found community support and acceptance from Positive Force at San Francisco AIDS Foundation and the Japanese American Buddhist Communities, his life started to change. He decided to advocate as a public example of Asian LGBTQ+ immigrants and to fight against stigma. He often speaks about his experience as a gay Asian immigrant and a Buddhist’s perspective on HIV and LGBTQ+ issues in the Bay Area and Kyoto. His life experience and lecture broadcasted in over 40 local newspapers in Japan. Sometimes he is also volunteering to advocate HIV prevention at local gay bars through Connection, San Francisco Community Health Center.

San Francisco, CA - Graduate Theological Union - One-Year Part-Time 2020 HIV League Scholar ($1,500)