LGBT issues within the media were not so widely covered back then, and often lacked the sensitivity too. But despite not being religious myself, my experiences as a gay man were starting to get shaped because of my religious identity.Īs a 22 year old, I launched a LGBT e-magazine called Gaylaxyin 2010 to provide a platform for the community to connect with each other. I had never given religion too much importance in my own life for that matter. I wasn’t exactly looking for any validation from religious texts back then. Other gay Sikhs I met had similar experiences both within the community and from society at large. Then there were others who only looked at Sikh men as very muscular and well-endowed and wanted to fulfil their fantasies. Instead of the clean-shaved look that most gay men seemed to have and prefer, my turban and facial hair (along with the texts in these dating sites) sowed a doubt in my mind that no one would ever want to date me, causing to a lot of body-image issues that took a while to go. This led to a lot of insecurity within me. Many profiles on gay dating sites also mentioned “No Sikhs,” or “No Sardars”. I experienced being outright rejected by people because of my religious identity, while others told me that I was disrespecting the Sikh community. I wanted to discuss my experiences within the queer community – of being rejected due to my religious identity, or of being fetishized for it. But I was looking for more than just a visual reassurance.
Sikh old daddy gay porn skin#
There is an assurance in finding someone who is similar to you, be it in terms of skin colour, culture, or religious identity. I was Sikh, and later I realized I was gay, and both of these were part of me, and I did not think being one meant giving up on the other.īut as I started understanding my sexuality more, became part of various online queer groups and communities, and joined some of the gay dating websites, I started yearning to see gay men who looked like me – with a turban and beard. Thus, I never felt any conflict between my own religious identity and my sexuality. The idea of Sikhism that I grew up with was a very accommodating and inclusive one.
Sikh old daddy gay porn code#
My parents were religious, but beyond taking me to Gurudwara, our place of assembly and worship, every Sunday as a child, and sometimes narrating stories about our religion or Gurus, they never tried to impose any strict religious code on me. I grew up in a Sikh family in India, and while I was not particularly religious, I maintained my religious identity by having uncut hair and wearing a turban. I still remember how lonely and confused I felt after coming out (both to myself, and then to the world at large). But as LGBT* rights advance across the world, the status quo within the Sikh faith too is changing slowly, thanks to a young generation of queer Sikhs who are now vocal about their sexuality. It is also a faith where, for a long time, no large-scale discussions around the topic of homosexuality have taken place within the community (for good or bad). Founded in the 15th century, Sikhism as a religion is very tolerant and advocates equality however, the Punjabi culture in which I grew up and which, as a state, is the heart of India’s Sikh community, is often not so tolerant. The Sikh faith is one of the youngest faiths in the world. Read more here: You can also listen to Sukhdeep read his essay below.
Sikh old daddy gay porn series#
This blog is part of a series for the Salzburg Global LGBT* Forum’s program on LGBT* and Faith.