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Thank you to all the people who took part in the Open Mind (ਖੁੱਲ੍ਹੇ ਮਨ) workshop on the 10th of April 2019 or filled in the accompanying survey.
The aim of the workshop was to find out if we need a safe space for Sikh LGBTQ+ people to meet and support each other. It was attended by eight people with different backgrounds but with a shared Sikh-LGBTQ+ identity.
We spent some time talking about the difficulties that the Sikh LGBTQ+ community experience in their families and a few shared themes emerged from our personal stories. Being ‘different’ in a “narrow-minded” community was a common issue. We observed how there is little tolerance for the unconventional in a community that places great value on conducting itself in accordance with teachings inherited from the elders. Not conforming with family expectations was sometimes tolerated if people lived their LGBTQ+ life in secret.
The group found it hard to say for certain if the negative attitudes of their family were due to tradition, culture or religion or a complex mix of all three. The consequences of these attitudes often caused significant tension and stress in the family and individual. This could sometimes also cause mental health issues.
There seemed to be an obvious disconnect between these attitudes and our understanding of the teachings of Sikhi. This theme came up multiple times and will require further exploration.
Most of the group had felt family pressure to get married with a partner of the opposite sex and live an ‘acceptable’ life. We discussed how not adhering to these demands or wishes resulted in heightened stress and discomfort in family situations. Some of the group had found ways to manage this and some were still working this out.
It wasn’t always easy to know which family members would be more accepting and some people have found more allies in the older generation than they expected to.
Altogether, attendees felt that sharing their experiences with other people was helpful even in the context of a workshop. It was unanimously agreed that there is a need for a regular safe space for the Sikh LGBTQ+ community to meet and share their experiences. The scope of the group was contemplated, with most participants agreeing that the support group should be open to self-identifying Sikh LGBTQ+. It was agreed that three further sessions would be held over the next three months to decide what the long term mission of the group should be. The next meeting is planned for May and a date will be published once a venue has been confirmed.
Follow us on facebook, twitter, eventbrite or sign up to our newsletter to find out more. And if you’re Sikh LGBTQ+ and finding things difficult – come along to our next meeting. Female and non-binary persons are particularly encouraged to attend.
Kuljit Bhogal and S Kaur
On behalf of Sarbat and Taraki
Life or work can sometimes fail to provide an open space for those experiencing challenges and difficulties. We would like to help LGBT South Asians discuss some unique challenges they may face within their communities in an informal and relaxed setting. Sarbat Sikh LGBT and Taraki are working in partnership to provide a regular space to talk.
These events will be facilitated by Dr Kuljit Bhogal who will use his personal and professional experience to create a safe and non-judgemental space.
Dr Kuljit Bhogal is leading on this programme of events and being supported by Shuranjeet Takhar but before we organise, we are planning on a scoping event on the 10th of April 2019 in London discussing questions such as
Moving forward, we would really appreciate help from organisations based in London in hosting these events. What we are looking for our meeting rooms that can accommodate 15-20 people around a table after work. We will cap the meets to a maximum of 20 RSVPs to make it manageable. We plan on organising these once a month commencing in May 2019. Please join our newsletter and follow us on social media to be informed about these events.
Life can be a lonely place but it needn’t be if we just talk.
Dharam Singh on behalf of Sarbat
Ref
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual people say they experience a lower quality of life
Inequality among lesbian, gay bisexual and transgender groups in the UK: a review of evidence
Mental Health Stats – LGBT population
‘Our goal is to halve the male suicide rate’: why no-frills therapy works for men
Gay Loneliness
LGBT Mental Health article
He’s Been Out for Years—So Where’s His Boyfriend and When Does It Get Better?
From April 2017, All future events taking place in the UK will be advertised on Eventbrite. This platform offers tremendous ease of use and clarity in organising and managing all sorts of events.
Future and past events can now be accessed from using the link below. Hope to see you at one in the future.
Additionally, our past newsletter editions can be found here.
Come and join us for our first meet and greet event of 2017 at the Victoria and Albert in London.
Lockwood Kipling: Arts and Crafts in the Punjab and London – This free exhibition explores the life, work and lasting impact of John Lockwood Kipling (1837 – 1911), an artist, writer, museum director, teacher, conservationist and influential figure in the Arts and Crafts movement with a particular fascination with Panjab.
We’ll meet just outside the porter gallery (just inside the main entrance) at 1pm on Sunday the 2nd of April 2017 and will have a coffee afterwards nearby. Please register here.
Pawan will be leading the event, just ask for Sarbat and everyone is welcome.
Link : Review from the Guardian
Dear friends and well-wishers
Failure to confront reality by it’s true nature and calling it something it clearly isn’t is not for 2017. Sarbat will always call a spade a spade as we care far more about the welfare of our LGBT brothers and sisters than people or media institutions who deny the underlying nature of reality. A reality that fills coffins and graveyards of innocent victims of Islamic terrorism with sickening regularity. There is no denying that a substantial proportion of muslims have failed to control the growth of this poison within their communities. This poison of Islamic terrorism now infects the entirety of the planet with certain groups such as LGBT people being particularly vulnerable.
In 2017, Sarbat will not associate with people or institutions who stand for dishonesty or conflate facts for their own short term aims. Sarbat champions free speech and won’t be bullied into accepting this as ‘the norm’ of living in a diverse, globalised and multicultural world.
Lookout for our 2017 calendar of events focussing on the importance of freedom of speech and its importance for LGBT people everywhere. We look forward to working with ex-muslims, reform-minded muslims, other LGBT and non-LGBT groups standing for free speech.
Wishing everyone an honest, censor free and fantastic 2017.
Get in touch via twitter, facebook or via email – info (a) sarbat.net
Saran talks about our recent #ComeTogetherInBirmingham meetup event that took place on the 2nd of October 2016.
We came together in Birmingham for our October meetup, the first LGBT+ event organised by a Sikh Darbaar. There were four of us, representing North American, British Asian and Northern European cultures. There was an instant feeling of friendship, of coming home into a relaxed hanging out atmosphere, sharing food and a cuppa. There was an easy flow of getting to know each other. Our stories flowed and were received by each other. We talked about everything from dating to spirituality, and there were many big laughs and lots of humor to the occasion. We also spent some time in the darbaar with the Guru, sharing in the sewa and enjoying some special kirtan. When we come together to connect as friends, peers and likeminded spiritual beings, we go beyond the surface of things. We go beyond the beliefs that we’re somehow separate, alone, unacceptable, rejected. We come together to create friendships that celebrate us and support us in who we are, we connect to people who are able to understand and listen to our life stories, challenges and spiritual views. There is no agenda but to show up and connect. There is no expectations, just coming together, showing up how ever you are, as you are. I personally was very excited and a bit nervous about the event, especially as I was representing Mata Tripta Darbar as well as being a non-binary woman myself. It can feel vulnerable to open ourselves up to showing who we truly are. It takes time and effort and lots of self-compassion. It’s an ever-evolving journey to really become who we truly are, to show up in the world as ourselves. This is why I’m so grateful for this meetup, it really showed me the diversity of our Rainbow Sikh community, just even with us four in the room. The unwavering acceptance and recognition that flowed from person to person. I really hope you join us for our next meetup on the 6th of November, at Mata Tripta darbar in Birmingham. There’s so much connection and friendship to be had within this community. Please join us in building it, for a fairer, more equal, more compassionate world to come.
We came together in Birmingham for our October meetup, the first LGBT+ event organised by a Sikh Darbaar. There were four of us, representing North American, British Asian and Northern European cultures. There was an instant feeling of friendship, of coming home into a relaxed hanging out atmosphere, sharing food and a cuppa. There was an easy flow of getting to know each other. Our stories flowed and were received by each other. We talked about everything from dating to spirituality, and there were many big laughs and lots of humor to the occasion. We also spent some time in the darbaar with the Guru, sharing in the sewa and enjoying some special kirtan.
When we come together to connect as friends, peers and likeminded spiritual beings, we go beyond the surface of things. We go beyond the beliefs that we’re somehow separate, alone, unacceptable, rejected. We come together to create friendships that celebrate us and support us in who we are, we connect to people who are able to understand and listen to our life stories, challenges and spiritual views. There is no agenda but to show up and connect. There is no expectations, just coming together, showing up how ever you are, as you are.
I personally was very excited and a bit nervous about the event, especially as I was representing Mata Tripta Darbar as well as being a non-binary woman myself. It can feel vulnerable to open ourselves up to showing who we truly are. It takes time and effort and lots of self-compassion. It’s an ever-evolving journey to really become who we truly are, to show up in the world as ourselves. This is why I’m so grateful for this meetup, it really showed me the diversity of our Rainbow Sikh community, just even with us four in the room. The unwavering acceptance and recognition that flowed from person to person.
I really hope you join us for our next meetup on the 6th of November, at Mata Tripta darbar in Birmingham. There’s so much connection and friendship to be had within this community. Please join us in building it, for a fairer, more equal, more compassionate world to come.
Everyone at Sarbat is really excited about our regular events in Birmingham continuing from the 6th of November 2016. A dedicated space on our online forum has been created for you to discuss items that you may wish to discuss during our Birmingham meets. We hope to see you there.
If you wish to have such events in your city/local gurudwara please get in touch.
Everyone pictured here gave their permission to be photographed and shared. Sarbat would never post your photo without consent.
These events cater to needs of LGBT+ Sikhs but others are welcome to join in.
Please share this message with your friends and contacts, it’s time for us to #ComeTogetherInBirmingham
Place: Mata Tripta Darbar, 176 Streetly Road, Erdington B23 7AL Time: Japji program/paath at 11am and langar at 1pm We’ll serve tea and nibbles.
For further information – call/text/whatsapp Saran on 07575 756 765 or Amrita on 07707 913 356 or email at amo151(a)hotmail dot com
Click here for a discussion board thread dedicated to our #ComeTogetherInBirmingham events where you can talk about updates and potential topics for discussion.
Sarbat is back after our warm summer break with a return to Birmingham.
Testimony from the organiser – This summer, Sarbat held its first ever Lesbian picnic in the beautiful surrounds of London’s Regents Park. A truly memorable day, bringing together wonderful Sikh Lesbians, from far corners of the UK. It was fascinating to meet such accomplished Sikh Ladies, each with a unique experience of being a Sikh Lesbian.There was plenty to talk about including the struggles of growing up as a Sikh Lesbian, family pressures, Sikhi and homosexuality, civil partnerships, and yoga/meditation. Being proud Sikhs, we did our own Kirtan in the park, which was beautifully led by a lady Granthi and accompanied by a talented guitar player.We indulged in lots of food, good discussion, Kirtan and played catch too! What more could you ask for? Gatherings like these make one appreciate that we are not alone in our struggles and that there are many of us out there with a similar story. It’s so important to get to these events, and I would encourage any of you who might be thinking about it to just come. Some valuable friendships have grown out of these meet ups. We hope to keep up with regular sarbat meet ups and there are plans for one in the Midlands and one up North in the next couple of months so look out for those!
What better way to enjoy the summer than with a picnic in the beautiful surrounds of Regents Park, London.
This will be only our second Sarbat LBT (Lesbian, Bisexual and Trans) women meet-up in London, following the success of our coffee meet-up in April.
Please note that this event is aimed at LBT Sikh women.
Date: Saturday 16 July 2016
Meeting Point:Venue : Starbucks, 1A, Euston Tower Podium, 286 Euston Rd, London NW1 3DP Closest Tube stations: Warren Street, slightly further out is Euston Square Closest Rail – Euston Station
Please arrive on time at 12pm. When you arrive, look out for a table with a small orange flag, the Sarbat team will carry this for easy recognition.
We hope to be able to leave Starbucks at 1230 to make our way to Regents Park, which is about a ten minute walk away.
Wear comfortable clothing and footwear as we may play a sport (rounders or football) or go for a stroll around the park. Bring snacks to share. Be prepared for rain!
Contact Number for the day: If you are unable to meet at Starbucks, call/text our number 07414 772 493 and we will tell you how to get to us.
Towards Marg is an exhibition exploring South Asian LGBT identities in the UK’s political and cultural scenes. Sarbat has arranged a special talk by curator Niranjan Kamatkar, Artistic Director at Wise Thoughts.
Towards Marg (part of the Alchemy Festival 2016) features the photographic work of artists Charan Singh, Raisa Kabir, Balbir Krishan and Sushil Mangaonkar. ‘Marg’ is Sanskrit for pathway, and the exhibition looks at the various journeys South Asian LGBT people are taking through life in this country.
Wise Thoughts is a London-based arts charity dedicated to creating and platforming LGBTQI arts and culture. Established in 1999, they work on projects involving LGBT and BAME artists, filmmakers and practitioners. They also organise multidisciplinary art showcases such as GFEST Gaywise FESTival, London’s annual LGBT cross-art festival, held in November.
Please come at 19:30 for a 20:00 prompt start at Level 2 Foyer (Green Side) at Royal Festival Hall at the Southbank Centre London on Thursday, the 19th of May 2016. Just ask for Sarbat. This event is open for all to enjoy – please join us. Call/text us on 07721097805.
After a fantastic Spring Walk and Talk event, we are proud to organise our exclusive Sarbat Lesbian coffee social. A friendly and relaxed event to meet other like minded lesbians.
Far too often issues pertaining to our lesbian sisters are overlooked – Sarbat wants to change that. Our next coffee social is on Sunday, 1st of May 2016 at 2pm in Starbucks 126 Baker Street, W1M 1FH.
Just ask for Sarbat when you get there or call/text us on 07414 772493 (on the day).
Moving forward we’ll be looking for volunteers who can help us out with organising events and look after the website (e.g. forum).
Feel free to bring a friend or family – it’s a safe and confidential event as requested by some of our members. Just have a quick look at our code of conduct.
Dear friends
(Note New Time)
What better way to welcome spring than a long walk and talk – The historic path connecting the Windsor Castle Grounds to the Copper Horse and the Deer Garden. On Sunday the 24th of April 2016 – We are meeting at Esquires Coffee shop at 12 noon for a prompt start at 1230 pm.
The most well-known image of Windsor Great Park is arguably the iconic view down the Long Walk, towards Windsor Castle at the far end. This tree-lined avenue stretches down towards the ancient fortress, illustrating the regal grandeur and Royal heritage of Windsor Great Park.
To access the Long Walk and Deer Park, you can park at one of the car parks dotted along the A332 near Windsor, however visitors often park in Windsor town centre and walk along the High Street to enter Windsor Great Park through Cambridge Gate, which is located next to Windsor Castle.
The ever-changing landscape of Windsor Great Park is home to an incredible array of flora and wildlife, making it a great place to explore nature’s beauty during spring.
We recommend good shoes, waterproofs, packed lunch+snacks, a camera and water.The organiser of the walk Dharam is familiar with the park and it’s history.
This walk is open to all. Just mention Sarbat and join in. Feel free to bring a friend or two. The more the merrier. Total walk time 3.5 to 4 hours with a lunch break around the deer park.
In case of inclement weather we may consider changing this event to visit to the Windsor Castle. So please visit this page closer to the date for the most up to date info. A mobile phone number will be posted here for you to contact.
See you there
We are very fortunate to be joined in by Rusi Jaspal, professor of Psychology and Sexual Health at De Montfort University, who will be delivering a talk on the specific mental health issues faced by South Asian LGBT communities , and also Makinder Chahal, South Asian LGBT Support and Health Promotion Worker at Trade, who leads on the Humsafar South Asian LGBT support service.
The programe for the event will be as follows:
2:00-2:30pm – Arrival time/refreshments 2:30pm – Welcome message on what Sarbat is, what it does and how you can get involved (Dharam) 2:35pm – The Sikh Perspective (Pawan) 2:40pm – Introduction to Trade (Makinder) 2:50pm – Lead discussion on identity and mental health within South Asian LGB&T communities (Rusi) 3:10pm – Open discussion (Rusi, Dharam and Makinder to facilitate) 4:00pm – Close 4:15/4:30pm – Food at Gujarati vegetarian restaurant (suggestions please)
The event will be hosted at the Trade Office in Leicester and is open to all, regardless of background, ethinicity, religion, sexual orientation or gender identity, and safe space policy will be in place.
Address : Trade, 2nd floor, 27 Bowling Green St, Leicester LE1 6AS , A convenient 10 minute walk from the train station.
For more information please contact Makinder directly on makinder@tradesexualhealth.com or call 0116 254 1747. Please RSVP by emailing makinder@tradesexualhealth.com and a voluntary donation to Trade for refreshments will be highly appreciated.
Sarbat will be livetweeting the event (use #sarbat) and are really looking forward to welcoming you all.
The right to freedom of expression is crucial in a democracy – information and ideas help to inform political debate and are essential to public accountability and transparency in society. The right to free expression would be meaningless if it only protected certain types of expression – so the right should protect both popular and unpopular expression, including speech that might shock others.
The recent attack in Paris on Charlie Hebdo offices is a direct attack on this fundamental right. We at Sarbat value the power of freedom of speech and its contribution in on our efforts to make the LGBT rights universally acceptable in the Sikh community.
In this moment of solidarity we have chosen “How important is Freedom of Expression and are there any boundaries”, as a topic of discussion for our next meeting, on 18th of January at 15.30 PM in Starbucks (124 Southampton Row WC1B 5AA).
We look forward to meeting you and please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any queries or suggestions. Prior to coffee social some of us are visiting the British Museum exhibition on Germany. Please book tickets for 13:00 hrs – Tickets need to be booked in advance if you wish to attend the exhibition. We will be outside the exhibition at 1300hrs and it would be great if you could inform us beforehand in case you join us.
If you have any questions please call the sarbat phone on 07779 575 099. Please be aware that we may not have reception at all times so a text message will be better. The discussion session will be chaired by Sarbat Facilitator Dharam.
LSESU LGBT Panel Talk – As part of LSESU Pride Week – Please join us and representatives of various faith groups taking part in a panel discussion about LGBT issues from a faith perspective.
The event is being held at the Faith Centre, Saw Swee Hock Student Centre (1 Sheffield Street, London WC2A 2EY) from 17:30-1900hrs on Wednesday the 26th of November 2014.
Further details are available here or via an email directly to the organisers info@lsesulgbt.org.uk . See you all there.
Sarbat would like to invite you to our last event of 2014 – “The Singh Project”, on 15th of November at 12 PM at Framers gallery, London. The Singh Project is a photo exhibition that showcases the beauty and diversity of the two most ubiquitous symbols of Sikhism: the beard and turban. With over 30 million Sikhs in the world, there is an incredible amount of diversity within the community, and the Singh portrait project by London-based photographers Amit and Naroop, is all about highlighting the diversity of these men who all share a common faith. Venue: Framers Gallery, 36 Windmill Street, London, W1T 2JT Nearest Tube: Goodge Street Agenda: • Exhibition- we request all to gather at the main entrance and the tour of the exhibition will start at 1205 PM. • After event café- we invite you to an after event social gathering at a café nearby. We will discuss the events that were held in 2014, and we request your feedback in improving our future events and in setting the agenda for the next year.
If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us here, via twitter or Facebook and we look forward to meeting you all at the gallery and for a social evening afterwards. The Sarbat phone will be manned on the day (except at times when during the talk it may be switched off) and you can reach us on 07779 575 099
The Johal family invites you to a surprise birthday party for Sunita. Mum’s been cooking all day, and the family has just about made it on time.
Everything is set, but Sunita is nowhere to be seen. As the curries simmer and rotis are smothered in full fat butter, years of family drama bubbling under the surface start to boil over. Today, four decades after arriving in this country, things are set to change…
A new comedy drama about family from the producers of Britain’s Got Bhangra and Break The Floorboards.
Please book your tickets asap (£12.50 adults/£10.00 concessions) and join us for the 4pm show on Sat, the 18th of October at Waterman’s Theatre , 40 High St, Brentford, Middlesex TW8 0DS. We will go to a restaurant afterwards for a meal (Suggestions please).
If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us here, via twitter or facebook . We look forward to meeting you all for the show and a meal afterwards.
The Sarbat phone will be manned on the day (except at times when during the show when it will be switched off) and you can reach us on 07779 575 099.
After a long summer break, Sarbat invites you to visit the Empire, Faith and War: The Sikhs and World War One exhibition at Brunei Gallery, SOAS, University of London Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square WC1H 0XG on Saturday, the 6th of September 2014 at 2 pm. The organisers have been kind to provide us a special tour/talk of the exhibition to commence at 2:15 pm. The talk/tour about the exhibition lasts about an hour after which the organizers suggest an additional hour in the multimedia zone. We strongly advise you to be on time.
For a Sikh it is a great honour to die fighting on a battlefield, quoted in the Sikh National Anthem,”AUT HE RAN ME TAB JOOJH MAROO” – May I die fighting with limitless courage
They were known as the black lions, leaving their homeland, the Punjab, they offered to fight and help Britain, yet they did it out of honour and loyalty. They constituted only 2 % of the population but represented 20 % of the British Indian Army. Hundreds of thousands died and more than 80% never made it back to Punjab.
Sarbat invites you to another special gathering of members, friends and well-wishers to celebrate and remember the untold and largely forgotten role of Sikh men in fighting world war one.
We advise you to support UKPHA and consider making a small donation on the day.
If you require any additional information, please do not hesitate to contact us here, via twitter or facebook and we look forward to meeting you all at the gallery and for a social evening afterwards.
The Sarbat phone will be manned on the day (except at times when during the talk it may be switched off) and you can reach us on 07779 575 099
Sarbat will be at World Pride on Saturday 7th July 2012, and we want you all to join us.
The details are:
Date – 7th July 2012
Location – Baker Street W1, near the junction with Paddington Street – ask the organisers for section “Yellow 30”
Time – 10.30am SHARP
The procession is due to start at 11am, so please get there by that time if you wish to walk with us. The Sarbat helpline (07869 429610) will be manned from 8am on the day, so feel free to call us and check our whereabouts in the procession.
If people are walking with us, please wear traditional Punjabi outfits if possible. We will be having dhol players walking alongside us, so there will be plenty of music to keep us in the celebratory mood!
If you don’t wish to walk with us, please support us from the sidelines. The more of our members and supporters on the streets, the better for us to raise the profile of LGBT Sikhs across the globe. The details of the route can be found at http://www.pridelondon.org/parade/
Pride di lakh lakh vidai hovey!
Our next event will be as follows: Date – Sunday 24th June 2012
Time – 1.30pm onward
We will be dining at approximately 3pm, so feel free to order your meals as you arrive in order for the the food to be ready by then.
We will be looking at our presence at World Pride this summer, as well as discussing logistics for Pride.
Regardless of whether you have come to our meetings before or it is your first time, you are more than welcome to join us.
For more information, email us at info@sarbat.net or contact us on 07869 429610 from 12 noon on the day of the event.