Shep Sgh: “I Want To Assure Other Young Queer Sikhs That One Could Be Gay and Sikh”

Contents:

• GAY MARRIAGE
• MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE
• CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL BE ASKED TO REAFFIRM GAY MARRIAGE PROTECTNS ON 2024 BALLOT
• GAY SIKH
• SHEP SGH: “I WANT TO ASSURE OTHER YOUNG QUEER SIKHS THAT ONE COULD BE GAY AND SIKH”

GAY MARRIAGE

Giani Jogr Sgh Vedanti, the hight temporal thory to some Sikhs, recently nmned homosexualy while remdg visg Sikh-Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) of their relig duty to oppose same-sex marriage. [1] In a report published March 2005, Vedanti said, "The basic duty of Sikh MPs Canada should be to support laws that stop this kd of practice [homosexualy], bee there are thoands of Sikhs livg Canada, to ensure that Sikhs do not fall prey to this practice. The supreme Sikh relig body, the Akal Takht, has issued an edict nmng gay marriage, and Vedanti's words were echoed by Manj Sgh Kalkatta, another highly rpected Sikh preacher who ss on the erng body of the Goln Temple, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Commtee.

The same Sikhs believe that Gu Nanak's emphasis on universal equaly and brotherhood is fundamentally support of the human rights of homosexuals. Views on homosexualy tend not to be a primary ncern Sikh teachgs, as the universal goal of a Sikh is to have no hate or animosy to any person, regardls of race, ste, lor, creed, genr, or sex.

MANY BRONS HAVE CHANGED THEIR MDS ON GAY MARRIAGE

Many Sikhs who have homosexual sir will try to overe what they believe to be lt by marryg a member of the oppose sex and havg children. Like liberals om other fahs and backgrounds, Sikhs who support homosexualy believe that 's not unnatural, but is normal for a mory of adults. The Sikhs strs that homosexualy is not discsed nor specifilly banned any of the wrgs of the Gu, and that the fay liftyle the Gu enurag n be cultivated by two members of the same sex.

It was a subject which had aroed the tert of the general public, and var ter-related issu were beg discsed, such as whether such marriag would have to take place relig plac of member of the Sikh muny Canada were ncerned that they may have to allow gay marriag to take place gurdwaras, and so they lobbied the SGPC and the Jathedar of the Akal Takht as to guidance on this subject. Followg this pronouncement om the Akal Takht, the Canadian Prime Mister Pl Mart ncelled his vis to Amrsar, and although he never gave official reasons as to why he ncelled at such short notice, some mentators believed that was directly related to the edict [7] put the issue of Indian-fluenced attus to homosexualy to ntext, has to be noted that homosexualy is illegal India unr the Penal Co troduced by the Brish Raj the Victorian era [8].

It is well documented that homosexualy existed India at the time of the Gus, and that there were well-known gay sats or relig men who were alive at the time of the Gus and who were known to the Gus [12]. From them I have received ath threats for beg gay, I have been acced on a TV statn of beg an fil and I have even had dividuals ll me up and threaten to expose me.

CALIFORNIA VOTERS WILL BE ASKED TO REAFFIRM GAY MARRIAGE PROTECTNS ON 2024 BALLOT

"Jasvir says that the Sikh relign which he grew up wh his fay, was very foced on a central te of equaly, and says he has never felt his fah to be nflict wh his homosexualy.

Though many Sikhs see thgs differently, Jasvir says he never saw any nflict the relign's teachgs and scripture between his fah and his sexual Gu Granth Sahib, the re Sikh relig text, do not refer to homosexualy at all, but do make mentn of hbands and wiv. This has allowed Sikhs on different sis of the bate to pot to scripture as backg up their own posn on homosexualy and on same-sex unns.

"Sadly I know gay Sikhs who have given up their fah, or who feel their only optn was to cut their hair, and to bee ls fahful, or jt foc on their ner fah rather than spend time at the gurdwara.

GAY SIKH

I'm not gog to waver om my fah but I'm also not gog to be ashamed of my sexualy, " Jasvir of Jasvir's reason for speakg out is also bee he says he had never had gay Sikh role mols, particularly upl and those who nsired themselv to be relig. "When that weddg vio was leaked and malicly spread around social media, was the way one of my elrly relativ found out I was gay, " he says. However, no one has a license om the Gu to jtify their own personal habs, behavur or liftyle that is not advoted by the Sikh relign wh the label of Sikhi, whether straight or gay.

SHEP SGH: “I WANT TO ASSURE OTHER YOUNG QUEER SIKHS THAT ONE COULD BE GAY AND SIKH”

Sri Gu Granth Sahib Ji and other Sikh scriptur like Bhai Gurdaas Ji’s Bani (holy wrgs) do not enterta the possibily of a homosexual marriage or relatnships. In addn to this, there has been no promotn or even a reference to homosexual relatnships and marriag the history of Ten Gus perd or beyond till prent day. For someone to jtify or promote homosexualy based on the absence of homosexualy or the reference to Sikh scriptur and Sikh history om the tim of the Sikh Gus till morn tim would be dishont and manipulatn of the tth.

However, any relatnship before or outsi wedlock, irrptive of whether is a heterosexual or homosexual relatnship, is clearly forbidn Sri Gu Granth Sahib Ji and the Sikh Co of Conduct rerd historil texts and mancripts, as well as the morn-day 'Sikh Rehat Maryada' document that is ed an official reference pot for Sikh relig by Sri Akal Takhat Sahib, the Sikh Supreme Authory Amrsar. The qutn then is, if homosexual relatnships are ‘natural’ and should be accepted as a fundamental part of the self, then why all of a sudn would people mand that Sikhs should support and allow same-sex marriag when this practice has not been spoken of, advoted nor practised over 500 years of Sikh history? Eher homosexualy existed Punjab, the land where the Sikh fah was revealed and flourished, 500 years ago but not promoted, and therefore, no reference to s promotn Sikh sacred texts and relig .

Pro-homosexualy activists seekg to jtify their personal liftyle preference wh the seal of approval of Sikhi, stretch the Sikh Gus’ teachg of nsirg all humany as one and treatg all wh rpect, wh advotg homosexualy. If someone was to e the Sikh ncept of universal brotherhood or fayhood to jtify gay relatnships and gay marriag om a Sikh perspective, would be like g universal brotherhood to jtify the crim of crimals, or social wrongs of people society? Zealot gay activists state that Sikh relign has an “emphasis on self-acceptance” orr to jtify homosexualy om a Sikh perspective.