Sikh Leader in India - No to Gay Marriage

Sikh News Reporter · #1 (**permalink**) 08-Jul-2009, 22:20 PM

AMRITSAR: Jathedar Akal Takht (highest Sikh temporal seat) Gyani Gurbachan Singh here Wednesday disapproved the gay marriage as earlier approved by the Delhi High Court recently.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-news/25742-sikh-leader-india-no-gay-marriage.html

Singh has said that as per Sikh tenets and custom Gay marriage has no room in Sikh community as this is deadly against the culture and ethics of Sikh community.

He said that Sikhs community would not tolerate gay marriages in Sikh families and it would never be allowed to be solemnized in any of the Sikh Gurdwdara (Sikh shrine) all over the world.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

Singh also directed SGPC (Shriomani Gurdwara Committee) to study all the aspects in this regard besides availing the services legal luminaries so that it could be challenged in the court of law, since gay marriages were deadly against the law of nature.

Randip Singh · #2 (**permalink**) 08-Jul-2009, 22:52 PM

Why can't our leaders just shut their big mouths about this and leave choices on things like this to individuals. Bunch of homo-phobes.

gaysikh_uk · #3 (**permalink**) 19-Jul-2009, 02:43 AM

Why is it that the Gyanis and Jathedars are very quick to make such condemning announcements, but never take part in legitimate and reasoned discussions before making such a knee-jerk reaction?

Soul_jyot · #4 (**permalink**) 19-Jul-2009, 05:29 AM

source: The Sunday Tribune - Spectrum

The Tribune - Sunday, July 19, 2009

Ulta Pulta
Legally gay
Jaspal Bhatti

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

"HAVE sweets, behan ji; our son has turned out to be a gay." No mother can be proudly heard saying this even if she may be a staunch advocate of gay rights. Homosexuality has been taboo in the Indian society for years and we cannot expect the people’s mindset to change so quickly.

Many people say that India has come of age. They say that everybody should have the right to choose their partner irrespective of his/her sex. Parents may soon be proudly saying "Hamare bete ko ladke wale dekhne aa rahen hain."

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

A positive outcome of this development will be that no discrimination will exist between the two parties, as both the sides would be ladke wale. Both the boys might come riding on ghoris to the marriage palace. Parents of both the boys would be more than happy to get rid of their gay aulads.

Because of the scrapping of the article 377, gay activity will no longer be a criminal act, though it may give a boost to the economy. Gay bars, gay clubs, gay showrooms and gay restaurants will come up. The advocates of gay movement may even demand 10 per cent reservation in the government offices.

A father was worried about the falling sex ratio in Punjab and Haryana. He wondered how the parents would marry off their sons when they grew up. "Don’t worry! Gay marriages have been legalised," announced the mother, while consoling the poor father.

vegangoth · #5 (**permalink**) 19-Jul-2009, 21:06 PM

Someone once told me that the Sikh religion was perfect but Sikhs are not, this statment by some Sikhs show's this to be true. As a non Sikh and a Lesbian who has spent time amongst sikhs on other forums (which dicussed this very topic) I can honestly say that the vast majority have been in favour of Gay marrige and of Gay people in general. Love is love and this religion probebly more than any other strives to prove that. I bet this religious leader has been suprised by just how un-supportive his fellow Sikhs have been to his view. He just needs to be reminded that his religon stands for equality of ALL people not just those he personally approves of.

Soul_jyot · #6 (**permalink**) 20-Jul-2009, 20:59 PM

source: South Asia Post

Decriminalizing homosexuality is a right thing to do

Gurpreet Singh - South Asia Post - Vancouver, B.C.

AS the news of India becoming 127th country to decriminalize the homosexuality reached Metro Vancouver, the gays and the lesbians in this part of the world cheered at the development. Particularly, Sher Vancouver, a group representing the queer population of the South Asian origin welcomed the verdict of the Delhi High Court that outlawed section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that treated homosexuality as crime and unnatural.

Until now the Indian police hounded the homosexuals for indulging in ``unnatural sexual acts’’. The law had for a long time forced the gays and the lesbians in India to live in anonymity. They were often harassed by the thugs and the cops alike. A sustained campaign by a number of support groups finally forced a court to decriminalize a form of sexual orientation that was for long considered abnormal. However, the homosexuality still remains a taboo in the conservative Indian society. The religious groups have condemned the verdict while the Indian government is shying from taking a firm position on the issue.

Although homosexuality is a reality since the beginning of this world, but even the developed nations took years to accept it. In Canada too, the Church groups are not willing to accept same sex marriages so it’s hard to expect the Hindu, the Muslim and the Sikh priests to agree to this kind of relationship in their traditional environment. When the debate over allowing the same sex marriages rocked the Canadian Parliament, the Sikh clergy had asked the Sikh MPs to restrain from voting in support of the bill. But this did not stop several Sikh MPs from voting in favour of the law that allowed same sex weddings. A moderate Sikh leader of Metro Vancouver, Balwant Singh Gill had once stirred a controversy by expressing his disliking for the homosexuals.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

The response on Punjabi radio talk shows on the subject indicate that majority South Asians do not approve of such relationship. A very few callers came in support of Amar Sangha, the Sher Vancouver leader who had joined me for discussion last week while most callers were hostile towards him. It takes a lot of courage for a man like Amar to speak about his sexual orientation openly on a Punjabi radio show. He acknowledged that his parents were initially hesitant about his being a gay and tried to get him a therapy in the hope of making him straight. Amar chose the name Sher (Tiger in Punjabi) for his group deliberately. This symbolizes the courage of the people who accept being homosexuals.

A free society cannot be allowed to be governed by the religious groups. When the science has proved that the homosexuality is not a mental disorder or something abnormal then the moral policing of this minority group should end. The decriminalizing of the homosexuality is a right thing to do in the current century. The Indian government that claims to be secular should not buckle under the pressure of the religious groups and abrogate the controversial law permanently.

AusDesi · #7 (**permalink**) 20-Jul-2009, 21:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vegangoth

Someone once told me that the Sikh religion was perfect but Sikhs are not, this statment by some Sikhs show's this to be true. As a non Sikh and a Lesbian who has spent time amongst sikhs on other forums (which dicussed this very topic) I can honestly say that the vast majority have been in favour of Gay marrige and of Gay people in general. Love is love and this religion probebly more than any other strives to prove that. I bet this religious leader has been suprised by just how un-supportive his fellow Sikhs have been to his view. He just needs to be reminded that his religon stands for equality of ALL people not just those he personally approves of.

With all due respect vegangoth ji,

The number of sikhs you have met in your life or on forums is prolly less than 0.001% of the real population of Sikhs. Majority of Sikhs( and hindus) in India would actually be quite conservative in their views on homosexuality.

Unfortunately, people don't see homosexuality in terms of Love is love in India. They see it as a physical urge. There are public beatings and shame when a homosexual case comes to light(there was that case of two lesbians in Punjab on youtube).

Please do understnad I am not saying I have this views as I believe in freedom for all but I doubt the law will get passed in Indian parliament within the next 20 years. Pretty much every major religion in India is opposed to it.

vegangoth · #8 (**permalink**) 21-Jul-2009, 00:41 AM

[quote=AusDesi;107203]With all due respect vegangoth ji,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

The number of sikhs you have met in your life or on forums is prolly less than 0.001% of the real population of Sikhs. Majority of Sikhs( and hindus) in India would actually be quite conservative in their views on homosexuality.

That's very true but I bet most people's views have been coloured by the fact that it has been illegal. Now that it has been decriminilesed people might start to accept.

Unfortunately, people don't see homosexuality in terms of Love is love in India. They see it as a physical urge. There are public beatings and shame when a homosexual case comes to light(there was that case of two lesbians in Punjab on youtube).

Perhaps now they ( the Indian people) will come to realise that it's the public beatings that is shameful.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=25742

Please do understnad I am not saying I have this views as I believe in freedom for all but I doubt the law will get passed in Indian parliament within the next 20 years. Pretty much every major religion in India is opposed to it

We don't have Gay marrige here in the UK either, we have "Civil partnerships" which is not the same. I think that our main relgions are responsible for the not allowing of marrige.

As far as I understand the Sikh religon can't point to a specific passage in the Adi Granth to justify their homophobia.