Same Sex Marriage Ceremonies in Gurdwara

This isn't a topic per say on Homosexuality and Sikhism ( as I know there are a ton of discussions on here already) but I'm interested to know if a same sex Sikh couple, who are in a committed and faithful relationship can get married in a Gurdwara? Apologies if there is a thread on this already, I must have missed it.
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Previous postings on the topic:

http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-n...-marriage.html

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WWW.SARBAT.NET - Sikh Views on
Same Sex
Relationships

Sikh Dharma is a philosophy which believes in
equality and acceptance for all, and Guru Gobind
Singh, the Tenth Guru, declared that “The whole
of mankind should be viewed as one”.

The Guru Granth Sahib does not mention homosexuality.
However, the ten living Gurus were
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/36102-same-sex-marriage-ceremonies-in-gurdwara.html
aware of homosexuality at the time that the Guru
Granth Sahib was compiled as there were a number
of openly gay saints during the 16th and 17th
Centuries in the Indian Subcontinent.

One openly gay saint is Sarmad, who was a follower
of Mian Mir, the Muslim Pir who is believed
to have laid the foundation stone of the Harimandir
Sahib (Golden Temple), the most important
of Sikh gurdwaras, in 1588.

If the ten living Gurus believed homosexuality to
be sinful, then they would have addressed the
subject within the Guru Granth Sahib, and the fact
that it has been ignored suggests that the Gurus
considered it to be inconsequential because the
primary function of dharma is to unite the individual
soul which is genderless with the supreme soul
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36102
which is also genderless.

The Lavaan are non-gender specific, and so samesex
marriage is possible within Sikh Dharma.

However, most gurdwaras in the current time (Sikh
places of worship) would be reluctant to conduct a
same-sex marriage because of an edict made by
the Jathedar (Head Priest) of the Akal Takht in
2005 which banned gay marriages. It should be
noted that Sikh Dharma as a philosophy does not
support a priesthood system, and many such
edicts have been ignored by the Sikh community
as a whole such as eating on floors vs eating on
tables.

Sikh Dharma Vs Indian Culture

Although Sikh philosophy is a liberal and all encompassing,
Punjabi and Indian culture is extremely
conservative. This can lead to instances
where some Sikhs hold conservative views which
stem from Punjabi culture but which the individual
may believe to be a part of Sikh philosophy.

An area where this disparity is evident is that of
sexuality, with Punjabi culture being very homophobic
whilst Sikh philosophy teaching the idea of
oneness, respect and tolerance of all people.

Gristhi Jeevan, or living the life of a householder,
applies equally to same-sex relationships as it
does to heterosexual relationships. There are no
barriers to maintaining a family lifestyle within a
same-sex relationship, for example, by adopting
children.

It is possible to be Sikh and have a monogamous
same-sex relationship, as long as one ensures
that the relationship does not become filled with
‘Kaam’ and one maintains a Sikh lifestyle in accordance
with all of the various tenets of the religion.

Although marriage is the ideal, it may not be
possible to get married due to the reluctance of
the gurdwara, and so a monogamous relationship
is to be preferred as an alternative.

source: http://www.sarbat.net/sikhism_and_sa...ationships.pdf

WWW.SARBAT.NET
Sarbat.Net is the website for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgendered Sikhs.
Established in 2007, it takes its name from the final
line of the Ardas (the congretional Prayer of
Supplication), and it refers to the Sikh concept of
happiness and well-being for all mankind

If Gurus can get widows remarried, they would have surely helped people of the same sex. Just my two cents.

I am not against homosexuality (as of course nothing is in my hands!) and approve of civil ceremony for their matrimony. But taking part in Anand Karaj is too much. It is asking for something without meeting the primary criteria.. of husband and wife.

As for the website sarbat.net, I don't approve of it much. For they are some 'modern' Sikhs who just happen to be together because of their homosexuality. They are LGBT by choice (and birth) but Sikhs by birth only.

Kanwaljit ji, may I respectfully ask how a person is Sikh by birth but possibly not LGBT by birth?

My understanding was that you're Sikh my your own good fortune and Sikhs are self-made (that is, you the individual puts in the effort to be Sikh but with Waheguru's kirpa), not made by birth, lineage, caste, custom, society, etc.

From my understanding a LGBT person is usually born that way, they don't have the same impulses that "straight" people do.

So I would respectully disagree and say that people choose to be Sikh and are born LGBT/straight, rather than the other way around.

Of course this is all in the context of hukam, so the technicalities are really moot.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36102


This is my third attempt at writing a response to the initial question, and really, the issue is much bigger than just the question 'can same-gender people be married in a Gurdwara'. It comes right back to the individual Sikh mindset before we even come close to answering the question.

I have not missed the point that LGBT person is born that way:

What I am saying is that most of the LGBT Sikhs (I feel) are more concerned about their sexuality, and call themselves Sikhs just because they are from Sikh family.

Ha! That link just showed me that I commented on the very same subject a while back, guess my memory is worse that I thought .

Sorry excuse my ignorance, what is LGBT, and for that matter what is SPGC, are they related in any way?

Kanwaljit ji, I think I misunderstood the sentence. I read it as 'everyone can be LBGT by choice but Sikhs only by birth', whereas I think you meant to apply the statement to LGBT people only, and with your clarifying statement I see what you mean.

I haven't had much to do with the LGBT Sikh community so I don't know much about how they feel about their Sikhi in relation to their LGBT and their life experiences with what came first, their Sikhi or their sexuality. I can say that my personal experiences with other LGBT people (non-Sikh) have given me the impression that their sexuality comes first in their lives, not their spirituality. Then again I meet a lot of straight people who put their sexuality first too!!!

Harry ji, LGBT stands for 'lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered'. SGPC stands for Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee.

http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php/SGPC

It would be funny if they were related!! hahahaha

Pfft.

What's the problem?

I really see no problem. Anand Karaj wedding ceremony is about the Union of two souls. The soul has no gender, so does the outer shell really matter?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36102
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=36102


I am sure if the Guru's had a real objection to Gay people they would have denounced them. They didn't hence no problem.

It must be noted that the problem with Homosexuality only started when the British came in with their christian values.