Canadian gurdwara invites LGBT group for Baisakhi event

TORONTO: In a pioneering move, a Canadian gurdwara has invited a support group for the gay community to participate in what is considered the oldest ‘Baisakhi nagar kirtan’ in the country.

The ‘nagar kirtan’ on April 15 will feature participation from Sher Vancouver, an LGBT support group for members of the Indo-Canadian, particularly Sikh, community.

The Khalsa Diwan Society, which established the first gurdwara in North America in 1908, formally invited Sher Vancouver to participate in the celebrations under its own banner and also listed it as a community partner.

Sher Vancouver’s founder Alex Sangha described the development as a “significant breakthrough”.

He added, “It shows a growing tolerance and acceptance of LGBTQ people in the Sikh community. I don’t think there is any other Sikh temple anywhere that has partnered with a South Asian LGBTQ group.”

Earlier, individual members of Sher Vancouver participated in the annual parade but had never done so under their own banner

Speaking to HT, Khalsa Diwan Society’s outreach coordinator Pall Singh Beesla said, “Our faith has constantly faced challenges in fighting the institutions of the time. That started with our gurus fighting against inequality.

Given the heft the historic society has within the Sikh community in not just Canada, but in North America, this initiative will create greater awareness about the LGBTQ issues within the community.

“It will start a discussion at the very least. A lot of criticism is born out of ignorance. When you inform, people become enlightened on their own,” Beesla said, expressing hope the example will be emulated by gurdwaras elsewhere in Canada.

But he added, “To be honest, people are so afraid of controversy, they don’t want to disrupt anything, which is contrary to what we stand for. We should be provoking constructive discourse”