IndoCanadian LGBT support group celebrates 10th anniversary
TORONTO: When it was first formed Sher Vancouver had to shy away from positioning itself as focusing on the Sikh community due to fears of a backlash from the orthodox, but its 10th anniversary will come a week after members of the Indo-Canadian LGBT support group participated in the annual Vaisakhi parade in Vancouver metro area for the second year running.
Ahead of the anniversary on Sunday, the group’s founder, Alex Sangha, said, “This is the second year in a row that Sher Vancouver marched in the parade. Many of our members have experienced rejection and discrimination in their lives, so it is very significant for them to be included, accepted, and welcomed by their community.”
Sangha, born Amar, was a social worker when he decided to form Sher Vancouver in 2008. He had accidentally outed himself at 19 by doing an interview as a gay Sikh during a pride event. Sixteen years later, he asked himself, “What sort of social worker am I if I can’t even advocate for my own people?”
As a result, Sher Vancouver came into existence, but though it started off as a “queer Sikh group”, there was resistance as people in Surrey, the suburb of Vancouver where it was located, “said there’s no such thing as a gay Sikh”, Sangha recalled.
But the group adopted a pragmatic course and positioned itself as a South Asian outfit.
Over the years, attitudes have changed. Last year, Sher Vancouver was invited to the Vaisakhi Parade organised by the Khalsa Diwan Society. Later that year, Canada’s defence minister Harjit Sajjan clambered on to Sher Vancouver’s float at the Vancouver Pride Parade, making a very symbolic statement for the Sikh LGBT community.