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Sikhism and Same-Sex Marriages

 Article by J. Singh

3rd October 2007

In January 2005, the Jathedar (Head Priest) of the Akal Takht in Amritsar issued an edict denouncing same-sex marriages and urging the worldwide Sikh community not to allow such marriages to take place at any Gurdwara. Same-sex relationships were condemned as being anti-Sikh, with the concept of same-sex marriages originating “from sick minds” and being “anti-human”.[1] At the same time, the Canadian Prime Minister cancelled a visit to Amritsar and the Golden Temple because of his belief that the Sikh clergy in Punjab were attempting to control Canadian politics. How did a political issue in Canada lead to the issuing of an edict by a religious institution halfway across the world? Why did that religious institution feel the need to issue such an edict in the first place? And what is the impact of that edict upon the worldwide Sikh community?

The Akal Takht, or the ‘Seat of the Immortal One’, was established at the time of the 6^th Sikh Guru (Guru Hargobind Ji) as the primary seat of temporal authority from where ‘hukamnamas’ or edicts were issued providing guidance to the Sikh community as a whole. The Jathedar of the Akal Takht is meant to be a spiritual leader without control or influence from any outside, politically motivated sources[2], although since the 1920s the position has been one appointed by the Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee (SGPC), the committee responsible for the management of Gurdwaras in Punjab and other north Indian states. The SGPC itself is an organisation elected by the Sikhs of northern India.

The Sikh marriage was institutionalised in 1909 by the Anand Marriage Act of India. Prior to that time, although the Sikh marriage hymns form part of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (the Sikh Holy Scriptures), marriages of Sikh couples usually followed the Hindu model of marriage, namely the circumambulation of fire, as that was the only legally recognised form of marriage for Sikhism in India at that time. The Sikh marriage hymns, or Lavaan, were composed by the 4^th Sikh Guru (Guru Ram Das Ji) and they are non-gender specific. The only references made to gender are those of God as the bridegroom and the human souls of those who are entering into the marriage as the bride.[3] Marriage is deemed to be the blending of the human soul with God, and not specifically marriage between a man and a woman. In that respect, there is nothing that would prevent a same-sex marriage taking place within the context of Sikhism.

It appears that this fear was paramount on the minds of the Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the SGPC when the edict regarding same-sex marriages was given. If same-sex marriage were not possible within the Sikh religion, then it would not have been necessary to issue such an edict in the first place.

The Canadian connection to the edict stems from the fact that it is home to one of the largest Sikh communities outside of India. Sikhs have been living in Canada for over 100 years now, with almost 300,000 Sikhs living in Canada as of the 2001 census[4], and in January 2005, there were 6 members of the Canadian Parliament who were Sikh. Towards the end of 2004, the proposed legislation regarding same-sex marriages was being debated in the Canadian Parliament. It was a subject which had aroused the interest of the general public, and various inter-related issues were being discussed, such as whether such marriages would have to take place in religious places of worship.

Some member of the Sikh community in Canada were concerned that they may have to allow gay marriages to take place in gurdwaras, and so they lobbied the SGPC and the Jathedar of the Akal Takht as to guidance on this subject. Unfortunately, no debates or discussions took place on the legitimacy of same-sex marriages within Sikhism, and this resulted in the issuing of the edict. It should be noted here that the eventual Civil Marriage Act which made same-sex marriages legal in Canada did not apply to religious places of worship where same-sex marriage was contrary to that religion’s beliefs.[5]

The Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the SGPC also declared that the Sikh Members of Parliament in Canada should vote against the proposed legislation as it was an issue which affected the Sikh community and which should be seen to be more important than petty politics.[6] Following this pronouncement from the Akal Takht, the Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin cancelled his visit to Amritsar, and although he never gave official reasons as to why he cancelled at such short notice, some commentators believed that it was directly related to the edict.[7]

To put the issue of Indian-influenced attitudes to homosexuality into context, it has to be noted that homosexuality is illegal in India under the Penal Code introduced by the British Raj in the Victorian era[8]. To that extent the edict should, in my opinion, be viewed as a product of its environment. It is an order given by a religious institution in northern India upon a subject matter deemed illegal and immoral in that conservative country in order to provide guidance as sought by a small number of Sikhs in a liberal Western country.

The question as to the impact that the edict should have on the worldwide Sikh community is a complex one given the apparent authority vested within the Jathedar. The Jathedar of the Akal Takht has issued edicts in the past which have not been recognised or accepted by Sikh communities in other countries and sometimes even those within India itself. The most notable recent issues which have caused rifts within the Sikh diaspora are those concerning the use of tables and chairs in langar halls (open kitchen) and the Nanakshahi calendar.

Many gurdwaras in the West have chosen to ignore the edict issued in 1998 which prohibited the use of tables and chairs when partaking in langar (the free communal meal served in gurdwaras), and continue to use them due to their Western sensibilities.[9] The Nanakshahi calendar, the new Sikh calendar implemented by the SGPC in 2003, has divided Sikhs around the world who believe that the Sikh calendar should remain unchanged as it has done since the time of the living Gurus and follow the northern Indian Bikrami calendar as used by the Hindus. In fact, the issue has divided Sikhs in India itself, with some important Sikh communities outside of Punjab continuing to use the old calendar and refusing to adopt the new calendar.[10]

Therefore, it should be noted that the edicts issued by the Jathedar of the Akal Takht are not always followed by the Sikh communities outside of northern India, and that there is a precedent which suggests that the Jathedar of the Akal Takht and the SGPC do not have the authority which they believe or hope they hold over the worldwide Sikh community.

There is also a precedent for personal interpretation of the Guru Granth Sahib on issues which are not directly dealt with by the Sikh Holy Scriptures. One such issue is that of vegetarianism. Although a large number of baptised Sikhs are strict vegetarians and the food provided in gurdwaras is vegetarian, the only edict issued by any of the Gurus regarding diet was that by the 10^th Guru (Guru Gobind Singh Ji) prohibiting the consumption of sacrificial meat (i.e. Halal or Kosher meat). Vegetarianism appears to be something which is of personal choice to Sikhs, and the provision of vegetarian food at the gurdwara is so that people can partake in it regardless of their dietary requirements. It is not something that was followed strictly by the Sikh Gurus, with some Gurus openly hunting animals or eating meat.[11]

It shouldn’t be deemed that the Gurus have overlooked issues which are not directly dealt with by the Sikh Holy Scriptures. Rather, the Gurus should be seen as having considered those issues as inconsequential and insignificant for the religion to give any guidance upon, and that it should therefore be a matter for personal interpretation. It is well documented that homosexuality existed in India at the time of the Gurus, and that there were well-known gay saints or religious men who were alive at the time of the Gurus and who were known to the Gurus.[12]

Sikhism is a democratic religion. One of its founding principles was the creation of a religion without a priesthood system and where followers would be able to seek guidance directly from their Guru, whether living or in the form of the Sikh Holy Scriptures, without the need of a third party to interpret those teachings. Sikhism therefore promotes a direct relationship between humans and God, with no intermediaries. The religion is one which believes in tolerance, equality and acceptance, and those appear to be qualities that followers of the religion sometimes lack when tackling contemporary issues.

Although the Akal Takht issued an edict prohibiting the practice of same-sex marriages in gurdwaras, the issue is far from dealt with in the west, and as can be seen above, not all such edicts are adhered to by Sikhs in the west or within India itself. Sikhism also allows for personal interpretation of the teachings of the Guru Granth Sahib as there is no official priesthood system in place. 2009 will see the 100^th anniversary of the Anand Karaj becoming legally recognised in India. Who knows how long it will be before same-sex marriages within Sikhism will become accepted rather than just theoretically possible?