An advocate in the North Okanagan Sikh community says the brief planning of a forum on sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) at the Sikh temple in Vernon was misguided, and wants to uphold the message that Sihkism stands for the equality of everyone.
SOGI is a school resource that has been in place in B.C. schools since 2016. It has become a contentious subject ever since protests were staged in September in Vernon and throughout the province calling for its removal from schools, based on protesters’ beliefs that discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity should be left to parents. These protests were met by counter-protests staged by people who feel SOGI is necessary to make schools safe and inclusive for all students.
Last week, Vernon’s Sikh temple became the third venue to decline hosting the controversial For the Sake of the Children event. Organizer David Hamilton had said the temple would host the SOGI forum on Jan. 13, but Gurdwara president Sucha Jassi told The Morning Star on Jan. 11 that the event had been cancelled.
Jassi declined to say why the forum would not be hosted at the temple, but Sikh member Min Randhawa said she’s heard from many members of the local Sikh community who expressed their displeasure that the event was at one point going to be hosted at their temple.
Randhawa says the North Okanagan Sikh Temple has about a dozen elected committee members who make decisions for the Gurdwara. She says the local Sikh community was blindsided by their leadership’s initial decision to host the event.
“The general Sikh community at large didn’t find out until it was advertised in the paper,” she said.
Randhawa said the community was told that the event was booked due to a miscommunication, but she’s skeptical of that explanation given committee members were telling members the event would go ahead beforehand.
“I believe an error was made,” she said.
Randhawa says more than 15 members of the community contacted the committee, including herself, saying they didn’t agree with making their temple the setting for a highly politicized discussion.
“In recent days, I have been contacted by several Sikh community members who have expressed their concerns and asked me to convey a message on their behalf. It is worth noting that the Gurdwara has always stood as a symbol of inclusivity and has been open to anyone in need. The Vernon Sikh community, with a proud history of service, has consistently contributed to the well-being of our community,” Randhawa said.
“While it is regrettable that the event faced controversy, I am pleased to see the swift steps taken by the committee to cancel it. Recognizing the complexities of decision-making, this demonstrates their dedication to preserving the values of equality and acceptance that define Sikhism.”
Randhawa says the temple is the wrong place to host the forum, adding she has never seen the temple rented out for such an event in her 30 years in the community.
She says the committee members could have found a more suitable venue given that most of them are business owners who own hotels and coffee shops that could have been used instead.
Many who oppose SOGI express concerns that it promotes transgenderism in kids, who are easily suggestible, or otherwise broaches subjects that should be left to parents. As a Vernon teacher noted in an interview with The Morning Star last fall, SOGI is not a part of the school curriculum and SOGI principles are in fact very rarely brought up in classrooms.
Randhawa says that while members of the local Sikh community felt uneasy about the prospect of the temple hosting the SOGI event, many of them are sympathetic to the view that students’ sexual orientation and gender identity should be left to families to discuss.
“I think on the whole people believe (that) it shouldn’t be brought into the education system … personal stuff should be left to the parents.”
While this view is aligned at least superficially with anti-SOGI views, Randhawa said the concern among the local Sikh commuity was that the forum would devolve into “spreading hate,” which she says is antithetical to Sikh values.
Randhawa wants the broader community to know that the Sikh community regrets the booking of the forum at the Gurdwara, which is meant to be a place free of political leanings.
“In light of the concerns raised, my hope is that the community recognizes the sincerity of the Sikh community’s apology,” she said.
“I appreciate the trust placed in me by the Sikh community members who reached out, and I am dedicated to serving our community with integrity and a focus on unity. As our community moves ahead, we remain committed to promoting open dialogue, constructive conversations, and collaboration to strengthen the bonds that make our community vibrant. We should continue to work towards a harmonious and inclusive community for all.”
READ MORE: Another North Okanagan venue declines SOGI forum
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