So did men when they had all the rights. Not condoning what women do, but it seems the human race is the problem and not just women and not just men. If the laws we’re fairer on men it would put women in check and men wouldn’t be so up in arms about gaining all the power back again. Equality of Women and Men. The achievement of full equality between women and men is one of the most important prerequisites for global prosperity and the advancement of society. The denial of such equality, in whatever form, perpetrates an injustice against one half of the world's population and promotes in men harmful attitudes and habits.
Sikhism has no specific teachings about homosexuality and the Sikh holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib, does not explicitly mention heterosexuality, homosexuality or bisexuality.
The universal goal of a Sikh is to have no hate or animosity to any person, regardless of factors like race, caste, color, creed, gender, or sexuality. Within the last few years the topic of homosexuality has become much more discussed in religions all over the world, making the once taboo topic of homosexuality now a subject for open discussion among adherents.
- 4Identity
Conflicting views in modern Sikhism[edit]
Giani Joginder Singh Vedanti of the Akal Takht (the temporal Sikh authority in India) has condemned homosexuality. In March 2005, he told visiting Sikh-Canadian Members of Parliament (MPs) that they had a religious duty to oppose same-sex marriage: 'The basic duty of Sikh MPs in Canada should be to support laws that stop this kind of practice [homosexuality], because there are thousands of Sikhs living in Canada, to ensure that Sikhs do not fall prey to this practice'.[1]
The divide between supporters and opponents of LGBT rights has become increasingly clear, creating a largely generational rift between older conservatives and younger liberals. Many Sikhs believe there is nothing wrong[2] with being LGBT or supporting LGBT rights more generally, including same-sex marriage. These Sikhs believe that the view of some preachers in the Akal Takht is flawed.[3][4]
The Sikh Rehat Maryada emphasizes the importance of a family lifestyle, and many Sikhs believe that since same-sex partners can't reproduce and make a family that homosexuality should be condemned. This heteronormative way of viewing the family is questioned by those who believe Sikhism is more tolerant of people not viewed as “normal”.[5] Many Sikh adherents believe the Rehat Maryada is meant to be interpreted and applied to life liberally rather than treated as a binding contract.[6]
Homosexuality in scripture[edit]
The Sikh holy book, the Guru Granth Sahib, details what behavior is expected of all Sikhs. It frequently encourages a married life.[clarification needed] Marriage in Sikhism is seen as a union of souls, and the soul is seen as genderless, with the outward appearance of human beings (man, woman) being a temporary state. Same-sex marriage advocates refer to this as support for marriage equality in Sikhism.[3] The Laavaan, the main part of Anand Karaj, are read at Sikh weddings for the union of two souls through marriage. In these hymns there is no mention of gender, but rather the participants are regarded as souls that are genderless. Marriage is seen as a spiritual journey to achieving lasting happiness through committing to the faith.[7]
Current discussion[edit]
Although the topic of homosexuality in Sikhism is tabooed, the younger generation is looking to the internet for answers. The internet has become a new way for young Sikhs born inside and outside of India to discuss the religion and current issues anonymously through the internet. The internet allows people to get the information they need without the discomfort of talking about it within the community.[8] The internet has become a tool for young Sikhs to get information about current issues that may not be discussed directly within their communities.
There are some individuals that are using the power of the internet to discuss issues of homosexuality in the community. Junaid Asif, also known as Sikh Knowledge, openly speaks about his queer identity. He uses his platform to discuss his experience as a sexual minority within the Sikh community and how he believes that there is conversation that needs to be had. He did an interview with Kevin Newman where he discussed the lack of discussion about homosexuality in the Sikh and Punjabi community. This is the first time homosexuality in Sikhism has ever been discussed on live television on a Western news channel, and it addressed a topic that isn't normally discussed in the community.[9] Another Sikh named Manjinder Singh is using YouTube to open up about his experiences as a gay Sikh man. He's creating his own platform on YouTube to reach a wider audience and is trying to get dialogue in the community started by defining what it means to be queer. In one of his videos he has a conversation with his mom about homosexuality in Punjabi.[10] This video defines what it means to be gay, lesbian, bisexual, and being transgender in Punjabi and is targeted to the audience that doesn't necessarily understand the different sexual and gender identities. Other famous Sikh YouTube stars such Sikh Canadian comedian Jus Reign (Jasmeet Singh),[11] and Lilly Singh (iiSuperwomanii),[12] have openly voiced their support for LGBT rights.
Identity[edit]
Identity formation[edit]
Both the Sikh identity and sexual identities affect a person's self concept and how they relate to their community. Like other religions, Sikhism strives to cultivate a sense of identity through religious practices, but in Sikhism there is a shared common physical identity too. Through the process of identity formation people begin to build a sense of individuality that allows them to find communities of people that they identify with. Identity formation at the intersection of Sikh and sexual identities has not been a focus of many studies. As the Sikh diaspora starts forming in places like Britain, some researchers are interested in understanding how these ethnic, religious, and sexual identities affect one's self-concept.[13] Many queer Sikhs find it difficult to reconcile their religious identity with their sexual identity.[14]
Narrative[edit]
Some research is aiming to understand how the Sikh narrative and the narrative of sexuality coincide and conflict with one another. In an article written by David Mair for the University of Birmingham, David examines the life narrative of an openly gay, practicing Sikh named Daljeet. This study aimed to understand how clashing narratives affect one's self-concept and relationship to the community at large. After having an in-depth conversation with Daljeet, David found that many of the struggles that he faced were because of the clash of narratives in his own life. Daljeet's narratives of Indian masculinity, ethnicity, religion, and sexuality conflicted with one another and his self-concept is deeply affected by it. Those who do not conform to heteronormative and binary definitions of gender and sexuality are tasked with creating a new narrative that incorporates all aspects of their identity in an encompassing way.[15]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^World Sikh group against gay marriage bill, CBC News, Tuesday, 29 March 2005.
- ^'Sikhism and same Sex Marriages'. sarbat.net. p. 1. Retrieved 3 September 2010.
- ^ abNaad, Project (2/9/2010). 'Sikhism, Yoga and Sexuality'(PDF). Project Naad. p. 33. Archived from the original(PDF) on 2008-10-01. Retrieved 2 January 2012.Cite uses deprecated parameter
|dead-url=
(help); Check date values in:|date=
(help) - ^Sikhism Today, by Jagbir Jhutti-Johal
- ^World Religions for Health Care Professionals
- ^How Sikhs Got Their Rehat Maryada| www.sikhnet.com
- ^Anand Karaj
- ^'Authority in the Virtual Sangat, by Doris R. Jakobsh'.
- ^Sikh Knowledge on CTV live talking about homosexuality, section 377, small communities, and Facebook
- ^English Subtitled Version: My Super amazing mum explains what homosexuality is to parents!
- ^THOUGHTS ON GAY RIGHTS (Vlog 273)
- ^People are Gay?!
- ^Jaspal, Rusi (2012). 'British Sikh Identity and the Struggle for Distinctiveness and Continuity'. Journal of Community & Applied Social Psychology. 23: 225–239. doi:10.1002/casp.2115.
- ^Jaspal, Rusi (2012). ''I never faced up to being gay': sexual, religious and ethnic identities among British Indian and British Pakistani gay men'. Culture, Health & Sexuality. 14: 767–780. doi:10.1080/13691058.2012.693626.
- ^Mair, David (2010). 'Fractured narratives, fractured identities: cross-cultural challenges to essentialist concepts of gender and sexuality'. Psychology and Sexuality. 1: 156–169. doi:10.1080/19419899.2010.484597.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sikhism_and_sexual_orientation&oldid=913702194'
Sikhs have great respect towards women. Sikhism is the onlyreligion where any woman or man is treated equal for all religiousor political matters.
Guru Nanak dev Ji was the first one, who stood up against thedis-respect of women and said.
'So kyon manda aakheai, jit jameh rajaan.'
means: why should we dis-respect a women, or have bad feelingsabout her ? She is the one who gives birth to Kings and rulers.
So she should be repected more than a King.
In Sikhism every woman has equal rights to participate in allreligious and political matters.
Why do Sikhs celebrate vaisakhi?
i think Sikhs celebrate vaisakhi is that the khalsa was made in 1699
Why do Sikhs women have long hair?
Why Hindu women have their hands painted?
i think ur talking bout mendhi - which is a cultural decoration/art thing for women in Indian sub continent not just hindus, but Muslims, Sikhs and others use it....
What do Sikhs think of Christians?
What are the important teachings to the Sikhs?
What do Sikhs think about war?
Sikhs believes that war is not the answer of everything even though some times it is. They are a peaceful minority.
How do Sikhs get to their wedding?
the women get there by car or other transport but the groom goes by horseback!
Are sikhs allowed to date white women?
Do Sikhs believe in angels?
Yes they do. but not the angels Christians think of.
What does a Sikh wear in a Gurdwara?
Wearing 'Kachehra' (Underwear) and 'Dastaar' (turban) is mandatory for sikhs. Sikhs can wear anything in the gurdwara which is sober and does not seem vulgar. Sikh women are aslo exempted from wearing 'Dastaar'. Women may or may not wear dastaar.
Why do Sikhs think that Nanak's teaching is so important?
Sikhs think that Guru Nanak's teaching is extremely important. This is because he saw God and created Sikhism, he must have known all about Sikhism (because he created it). Most Sikhs look up to him and admire him. I think that Guru Nanak must have been very inspirational! Also all Sikhs should look up to him as he seems like he will have been an exceptional leader/teacher.
Do all Sikhs wear turbans?
It is not a requirement for all Sikhs to wear turbans. Some women, however, do wear turbans as Sikhism promotes equality between both genders. Other women prefer to cover their head with a veils known as chunni instead.
Why is the guru granth sahib an authority for Sikhs?
Sikhs think that Gods word is passed through the book to them. Gods word is stored with in the pages of the book.
Why Guru Granth Sahib an Authority to Sikhs?
Sikhs think that Gods word is passed through the book to them. Gods word is stored with in the pages of the book.