Why Sikhism Is Naturally Amenable to Gay Marriage (Sikhism and Homosexuality, Part I)

In light of Proposition 8, and the various religious arguments against gay marriage, I want to add a new perspective. Various policies regarding gay marriage in the Western world concern Sikhs. California, the home state of Prop 8, and Canada, which recently legalized same-sex marriage, contain high concentrations of the Sikh diaspora. In fact, the policies in Canada caused enough concern to generate some drama with the Sikh higher-ups (more on this later, in Sikhism and Homosexuality, Part II).

So in spite of the potential hate mail (if the wider world knew about queeristan) here is why I think that Sikhism unadulerated by cultural ideology is one of the few religions that is naturally poised to accept gay marriage.

The first point: the basic philosophy of Sikhism is that everyone is equal. It is one of the only religions that explicitly states that all sentient beings are equal. The Golden Temple, one of the most respected religious sites, has four entrances to symbolize this - anyone is welcome, regardless of their religion, color, caste, or gender. So it hardly seems in line with the religion that exceptions would be made to bar a specific group (in this case, LGBT's) from certain rights.

Secondly, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib is mum on the issue of gay marriage. All the religion promotes is a family lifestyle and marriage for all adherents because all Sikhs belong to the community and have a duty to further it. Hence, the solitary lifestyle is discouraged (no hot rogues a la the Wolverine for Sikhs). What options does this leave a gay Sikh? Either pretend to be straight and get married, or come out and still get married, but to someone of the same sex. But why even pretend to be straight? Philosophically, gay marriage and gay adoption don't seem antithetical to the Sikh religion - in fact, it seems essential for a gay Sikh to push for gay marriage and gay adoption to remain a a good Sikh.

Sikhism's foundation lies on it's tolerance and egalitarianism; it's structure promotes community, family, and marriage. Denying LGBT's the right to marry, adopt, and participate in the community doesn't seem to fit quite right.

While you wait for Part II, where we consider the realities rather than the philosophy, consider how accepting a religion will be when it has followers who have altered it's main symbol (the Khanda...click to see original form) into this:

Pride of Bollywood

Dressed in traditional South Asian garb, the desis in Vancouver's pride parade made quite a sight as they partied on the beautifully decorated float this weekend. Sher Vancouver, Trikone Vancouver, Trikone Northwest from Seattle, and Namaste Vancouver collaborated together to create the stunning theme- Pride of Bollywood.

Pictures taken by Shahraz Kassam and submitted by Amar Sangha

Sher Vancouver & Amar Sangha

There's a South Asian Canadian that has been generating a lot of buzz in the past month. Amar Sangha of Surrey recently created the first Sikh LGBT social and support group in the area. But Amar wasn't always so proactive and open with his sexual orientation. Before becoming a visible member of the LGBT community in the Vancouver area, Amar struggled with accepting himself in his teen years, even going through three years of therapy in attempts to become straight. Now with the support of his mother and extended family (even grandfather - who says our elders are too old skool and dusty?), he now is reaching out to the wider Sikh community. Now, most of you informed queeristan readers, amazinglamourous that you are, probably already know all this information. So what gives? Well, we will be interviewing Amar in week or two and we want to give you readers an opportunity to pose questions for us to ask. Just leave your questions in the comments section or email us at queer.desis@gmail.com

A few things Amar mentioned about Sher Vancouver when we contacted him earlier:

"...Sher Vancouver is not a political or religious organization. We are more like a social service in the sense that we offer peer support, social activities, information, and referral. We would like to reduce the isolation, loneliness, depression and alienation that many queer people feel when they are dealing with sexuality, gender, and 'coming out' issues. We are a Sikh group but we welcome everyone which is in keeping with Sikh philosophy of non discrimination."

"I founded Sher because I didn't want people to say their were no gay Sikhs and that homosexuality is not an issue within the Sikh community. I also wanted queer Sikhs to be visible in the community and exercise their rights and existence. I did not want them to remain silent any longer. Many families with gay children and gay youth had nowhere to turn. There was a gay Muslim and a gay Hindu social group but no gay Sikh group and Sikhs make up by far the largest block of South Asians in Greater Vancouver.

We will be marching in the Pride Parade under our group name Sher Vancouver and not be identified as GLBT Sikhs since many people will be marching with us who are not Sikh. I also don't see the point of causing a controversy within the Sikh community by putting Sikh symbols up on our float. I would like to reach out to the broader Sikh community and Sikh community leaders and build allies and not create unnecessary problems. That's not our mandate. We are primarily a social service after all. "

Now if you're curious about his experiences or his points of view, don't miss this opportunity. Remember: Leave any interview questions in the comments or email us at queer.desis@gmail.com

Weekly Mix Masala

The eighth lesbian suicide in Tamil Nadu as of 2008
merinews

Hey fellow Canadians - we should have covered this earlier for you guys: Sher Vancouver, a Sikh LGBT group
BCLocalNews

In the UK, women win the right to children without fathers
UK Times Online

South Asian parents speak up: "We'd rather you were gay with kids."
Salon.com

And the gay pick for the hottest IPL player is...
Mid-Day

Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival starting...yesterday! Screening The World Unseen with Lisa Ray & Sheetal Sheth
courant.com

Another gay film festival, this one in Florida and in early June.
TampaBay

The murder trial of Satender Singh, the gay Fijian killed last year in California, wraps up
Hate Crimes Bill

Sigh. Is this just a conservative attack on British Indians or a real case of sex-selection spreading to the UK?
TimesOnline

The Red Ribbon Express, touted as the world’s biggest mass blitz for HIV prevention, enters Tamil Nadu.
The Hindu

Who knew Bhutan was so... penis friendly?

Weekly Mix Masala

Sahran Abeysundara, a queer activist from Sri Lanka, is named as the third grand marshal in Vancouver's pride parade
Vancouver Courier

Can Singapore handle Rose?
The Electric

"My dream role is to play a prostitute" - Bobby Darling
NowRunning

On Bobby Darling's upcoming films: "I even have a kissing scene with a Pakistani actor in one of my movies and I felt nice doing the scene"
Now Running

Reviews on Indian paperbacks, including the Pregnant King and the newly translated Dance.
The Telegraph - Calcutta

Who says Bush is homophobic? (NSFW: Not Suitable for Work)
Fleshbot

Sacramento area gays face increasing tension from influx of the growing evangelical Slavic community
LA Times

Fitna, the controversial short-film by Geert Wilders, has been released. No, we are not going to post the video, nor are we providing a link.

Weekly Mix Masala

Snehithan: social & support group for GBTTQQ of the Kannada, Malayalam, Sinhala, Tamil, and Telegu speaking communities.
snehithan.ca

Dosti: a Toronto based site for desi men who have or want sex with men. Browse to meet others and keep abreast of the latest news with Munnibai, the safer-sex queen.
dosti.ca

Blue Diamond Society of Nepal receives international recognition for their LGBT Human Rights work
International Gay and Human Rights Commission

Pregnant Transmale! Guess men can get pregnant
Jezebel

Review of Kari, a graphic novel about a lesbian copywriter in Mumbai
Newsindpress

Candlelight vigil in Kolkata for three members of the transgender community and the community explores the connection between the hijra and transsexual community
Express India

Martin Manalansan, an anthropologist specializing in South Asian diaspora studies, belongs to growing cohort of scholars that have recently moved "queer critique" aggressively into the domain of critical race theory
Brooklyn Blues Blog

Bipasha on Begum Nawazish's fawning over John: "Compliments for John are always welcome. Whether the compliments are from a lady, a man or from a gay person"
Times of India

Namaste: Building the South Asian GLBT community locally with KhushDC
MetroWeekly

Lonely world for some

It's a sad time when Canada, a country that is usually at the forefront of granting LGBT rights, indirectly sentences a man to imprisonment and torture simply because he is gay. Immigration Minister Diane Finley serves as the heterosexist executioner, sending Kulen Amirthanlingam back to Malaysia, where he will surely be imprisoned. Kulen, a Hindu who found love across boundaries with his Muslim partner of 12 years, only receives hate from Finley- with nothing more than an ignorant “no” at the request for asylum, Executioner Finley turns Kulen’s life into a tragedy.

I’m surprised that this story hasn’t gotten as much attention from the media. Then again, I guess that if stories like Kulen’s are commonplace then it isn’t much of a big deal for the media. If you're in the mood to throw sh*t like I am, email Finley at finley.d@parl.gc.ca .

Quebec NDP'er denounces gay deportation

A Vision for Everyone

Jeremy Dias, a 24-year-old University of Ottawa student, has been chosen as a nominee for this year's Br!ck awards. The honor, given by the US volunteer initiative Do Something, prides itself as "the Oscars of youth service awards." Dias is being recognized for his work with Jer's Vision, an organization he started.

A self-identified gay male of South Asian descent, Jeremy Dias has been a proponent for social change from a young age. As a teenager, he combated discrimination against sexual orientation by establishing the Sault Ste. Marie region's first LGBTQ youth group. A few years later Jeremy went on to set up Jer's Vision: Canada's Youth Diversity Initiative. Dias, along with 800 volunteers and countless sponsors, visits schools across the nation to educate students on the effects of discrimination and the importance of diversity.

It always makes my day when someone from our generation is on the forefront of social change. It's people like Jeremy Dias who prove that apathy is not a disease effecting all of us. Teaching students (at any age) to value diversity is often neglected or only focused on certain spheres. In a day where a 15-year old can be shot because of his sexuality, one can only imagine how different the world would be if more organizations like Jer's Vision existed.


Jeremy Dias featured in the Ottawa Sun

Jer's Vision: Canada's Youth Diversity Initiative