Being Gay and Sikh in the UK - a personal perspective
Introduction by J. Singh
3rd
October 2007
On July 27th
1967, the Sexual Offences Act 1967 received Royal Assent and
homosexuality was decriminalised in England and Wales. This year marks
the 40th anniversary of that landmark piece of legislation.
Since 1967, there have been a number of legislative reforms which have
collectively resulted in what many would consider to be equality for
gay men and women in the UK. The age of consent is now the same for
heterosexuals and homosexuals throughout the UK, there are laws
prohibiting discrimination in employment based on an individual’s
sexual orientation, and there is even the Civil Partnerships Act 2004
which is gay marriage in all but name.
1967 was also a very
important year for Sikhism in the UK. The large influx of people from
the Indian subcontinent in the 1960s resulted in a need for larger
gurdwaras for Sikhs, and 1967 saw major building works take place for
gurdwaras in the UK.
1967 also saw the stirrings of a British Sikh identity, with a bus
driver’s fight to wear a turban as part of his uniform in
Wolverhampton laying the foundations for the Sikh struggle for
equality in the UK and respect for their religious symbols.
In a recent poll by the BBC, 77% of Sikhs
considered themselves to be British.
In the same respect, gay men and women are an integral part of British
society and are to be found in all walks of life and professions. The
past 40 years have seen great changes take place for both the Gay
community and the Sikh community in the UK. But what if you are Gay
and Sikh in the UK? How does one manage to reconcile one’s sexuality
with one’s religious beliefs in modern day Britain? And how do those
different aspects of one's personality impact upon each other?
Sarbat.Net has collected
the testimonies of a number of LGBT Sikhs in the UK to give an insight
into what it means to be Gay, British and Sikh in the early 21st
Century. The testimonies shall be published on the website on a
regular basis over the next few months.
Testimonies:
(5) 22.01.10 - Testimony of HS (male, 35,
Birmingham)
(4) 18.06.09 - Testimony of RK (female, 44,
Yorkshire)
(3) 11.02.09 - Testimony of AK (female, 31,
Birmingham)
(2) 23.04.08 - Testimony of DS (male, 26,
London)
(1)
22.10.07 - Testimony of JS (male, 29, London)
