Archive for the ‘homohobia’ Category

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Homosexuality and Sikhism


2011
05.26

Posted in gay, homohobia, lgbt | 2 Comments »

-Zurich Collins

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”. Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book of Sikhs) does not mention homosexuality. However, the ten living Gurus were aware of homosexuality at the time 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 such openly gay saint was Sarmad, a follower of Mian Mir, the Muslim Pir who is believed to have laid the foundation stone of Sri Harimandir Sahib (Golden Temple) – the most sacred Sikh gurdwara- in 1588.

Had the ten living Gurus believed homosexuality to be sinful, 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 (which is also genderless). The Lavaan are also non-gender specific, and so same-sex marriage is possible within Sikh dharma. However, most gurdwaras (Sikh places of worship) in the current time 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 religion as a philosophy does not support a priesthood system, and many such edicts such as eating on floors vs eating on tables have been ignored by the Sikh community as a whole.

Sikh dharma vs Indian culture

Although Sikh philosophy is liberal and all encompassing, Punjabi and Indian cultures are 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 teaches 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 ideal, it may not be possible to get married due to the reluctance of gurdwaras, and so a monogamous relationship is to be preferred as an alternative.

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THE COMMUNITY UNITES – India’s Stonewall?


2011
02.24

Posted in facebook, homohobia, journalism, lgbt | 1 Comment »

TV9

I had just returned back from my alma- mater after my convocation when I turned my laptop on and saw the link of TV9’s video posted in one of the Facebook groups. A slow net connection only meant that I couldn’t view the video. Tired from the journey and still excited about the newly awarded degree, I posted my comments below the shared video and went to sleep. Till then, only a few comments had been posted beneath it. By the time I woke up the next morning (which was a bit late) there were various posts related to that topic, each with more than 50 comments or so. The Youtube video had been flagged by so many people that it had been removed by then, and the TV channel had been sent a legal notice by one of the support groups. All this, within less than 24 hours!

And no, it wasn’t just the Facebook group that saw some activity. The discussion had been taking place in all the forums that I knew… some that had been lying dormant for ages!! TV9, in the name of journalism (sensational journalism to be exact) tried to “expose” the gay subculture of Hyderabad city by doing a sting operation. In a TV report, each and every spoken word of which stinks of deep homophobia, the news channel “went undercover” and shot with hidden cameras the various parties being organized for members of the LGBT community in the city. It then showed on TV the profiles of various members of a popular dating site and its journalists even posed as users of the site and called up a few other unsuspecting users, asking them intimate questions, recording them, and then beaming them on Television, along with their names and other information. How can attending parties and having a profile in one of the dating sites be unlawful and criminal, especially after the 2nd July 2009 verdict of Delhi High Court decriminalizing homosexuality in India, is something only  TV9 can explain.

But what the incident certainly did was bring the whole community together under one roof to fight for their rights. That their life could so easily be infringed upon, with utter disregard to privacy, and that it could have been any one of “us” brought every one out from deep slumber. This time around, there weren’t activists protesting against such homophobia, instead, it was THE COMMUNITY standing up for its rights. The Youtube video couldn’t have been brought down within hours without “mass support”. Even the most dormant of forums wouldn’t have become alive again had the members not felt the urgency to “fight back” and create a movement, the kind of movement that the Middle East is experiencing because people are tired of living a suppressed life. The realization dawned on the community and just like the Egyptian revolution was a faceless revolution, this one also was a faceless revolution (if I may call it so). You couldn’t pin-point a person or a group who started it all, it were THE PEOPLE who did it. I can’t recall any incident in recent memory where the whole LGBT community would have come together in such a big way to mark their protest, anger and outrage. The pride parades may be seeing huge turnovers, but then, that is a well planned activity and is more about celebration of sexuality.  On the other hand, the spontaneity with which THE COMMUNITY responded to this incident to register their protest is what marks it out. It was the kind of spontaneity that had been shown by the protesters during the Stonewall Riots. It may be too early to call it the Indian equivalent of Stonewall Riot, but the response from the Indian gay community bears many a mark of that fateful night. Will this particular incident be a turning point in the LGBT movement in India? While that question may be hard to answer at this moment, it is beyond doubt that the community has been united like never before.

P.S. A Peaceful protest is being organised in Mumbai on 25th Feb at 7pm outside TV9′s office. You can get the details here