Sikhi and Transgender People

[AS Khalsa]

Waheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Waheguru Ji Ki Fateh,

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article ... wrong.html

Recently a 17 year old transgender girl, Leelah Alcorn, committed suicide because her parents refused to accept her as a girl. Her parents, being of an Orthodox Christian bent, determined that they would refuse to acknowledge her as a female, given that she had been born a male.

Sikhi teaches us to accept the way God made us with abject humility. This is one of the reasons we keep our Kes uncut. But does the same logic also apply to transgenders?

According to Sikhi, is one who is born a member of one sex but wishes to make alterations to their body in order that it better reflects their gender identity guilty of a moral evil? By rights, should these people be denied their wish even if it means they will lead a miserable life? Despite my views, I can't help but be moved by the plight of transgenders and wonder whether there is any place in Sikhi for them.

[Nihal Singh Kanakpuria]

According to Sikhi, is one who is born a member of one sex but wishes to make alterations to their body in order that it better reflects their gender identity guilty of a moral evil? By rights, should these people be denied their wish even if it means they will lead a miserable life? Despite my views, I can't help but be moved by the plight of transgenders and wonder whether there is any place in Sikhi for them.

Where does Sikh say there is not pace for them ?

The concept of acceptance is about what can't be changed, its not about not challenging the current situation, This belief concept (if ppl are actually able to grasp and follow) is immensely liberating and powerful.

Society/community does make it difficult to accept such changes (even non religious societies), however i don't see why you would think there is no place in Sikhi or Sikh faith for them.

Nihal

[AS Khalsa]

According to Sikhi, is one who is born a member of one sex but wishes to make alterations to their body in order that it better reflects their gender identity guilty of a moral evil? By rights, should these people be denied their wish even if it means they will lead a miserable life? Despite my views, I can't help but be moved by the plight of transgenders and wonder whether there is any place in Sikhi for them.

Where does Sikh say there is not pace for them ?

The concept of acceptance is about what can't be changed, its not about not challenging the current situation, This belief concept (if ppl are actually able to grasp and follow) is immensely liberating and powerful.

Society/community does make it difficult to accept such changes (even non religious societies), however i don't see why you would think there is no place in Sikhi or Sikh faith for them.

Nihal

Nihal Singh Ji,

Perhaps I ought to have chosen my words with more care. As opposed to 'do these people have a place in Sikhi', the more question which would better express my sentiment would have been 'is the wish to change one's gender in alignment with the principles of Sikhi?'

I personally hope to discover that the answer to this question is 'yes'. Few modern issues are as dear to me as LGBT rights, and I believe Sikhi is the only major religion that is capable of championing the rights of homosexuals and transgenders without any scriptural contradictions.

[Bundha]

Sorat'h, Fifth Mehla, Second House, Chau-Paday: ang 611
One Universal Creator God. By The Grace Of The True Guru:
The One God is our father; we are the children of the One God. You are our Guru.
Listen, friends: my soul is a sacrifice, a sacrifice to You; O Lord, reveal to me the Blessed Vision of Your Darshan. ||1||

We are all Gods children, there is a place for all in the house of Nanak.

[Nihal Singh Kanakpuria]

AS Khalsa Ji,

I have been fond of your reasoning capability and knowledge but have never understood why you and sometimes other so called rational Sikhs target their reasoning ability against sikhi. I actually can't grasp the concept of subjective reasoning where you start with the belief that atheism is the truth and rest should be proven. (Its not a clean slate)

Coming to your question , All i can say is that since the phenomenon of sex change is so recent there are no specific scriptures that support it. Its not coz Gurbani isn't foresighted , its coz Gurbani isn't about micromanaging as in coming up with every scenario of future and then telling you how to act. Gurbani recognizes that you are a human and you are free (totally) to do what you want to do.

All i can say is that yes even though some Sikhs do practice castism but when Guru Gobind Singh asked for sheesh he wiped the gene slate. With the phrase Chidyan Naal Baaz Ladavan he introduced the concept of nurture over nature as a manifestation of mool mantra, where everyone is born free and equal , (Atheism doesn't recommend this concept of equality, yet people think atheism is more logical).

So yes as per mool mantra , the creator doesn't judge anyone for the choices they make, if having a sex change makes the person more aligned with their external and internal identify then why not ?, after all if a person truly and desperately believes he is a Sikh inside and would want to be a Sikh on the outside as well ,would you stop em ?


-Nihal

[AS Khalsa]

AS Khalsa Ji,

I have been fond of your reasoning capability and knowledge but have never understood why you and sometimes other so called rational Sikhs target their reasoning ability against sikhi. I actually can't grasp the concept of subjective reasoning where you start with the belief that atheism is the truth and rest should be proven. (Its not a clean slate)

Nihal Singh Ji,

I do not mean to give the impression that I am attacking Sikhi, or that I believe it to be unreasonable. I hope my love for Sikhi is evident to all who might read the things I say. It may just be that I comment on threads when things have turned acidulous enough so as to make me feel my opinion might count for something.

My reason for directing my rationality towards Sikhi is to perpetually renew and nurture my faith, in the spirit of that well known quote, "There can be no faith without doubt, no strength without temptation". Faith that isn't tested against the rigors of logic is very vulnerable and shaky. I know this to be true from experience, having lost it once before for that very reason. Now, I do not feel this eventuality is possible, my questions serve only to strengthen my belief.

Coming to your question , All i can say is that since the phenomenon of sex change is so recent there are no specific scriptures that support it. Its not coz Gurbani isn't foresighted , its coz Gurbani isn't about micromanaging as in coming up with every scenario of future and then telling you how to act. Gurbani recognizes that you are a human and you are free (totally) to do what you want to do.

I suppose it must have seemed pretty inconceivable to the Guru Sahibaan, living in the time they did, that a man might actually become a woman surgically.

So yes as per mool mantra , the creator doesn't judge anyone for the choices they make, if having a sex change makes the person more aligned with their external and internal identify then why not ?, after all if a person truly and desperately believes he is a Sikh inside and would want to be a Sikh on the outside as well ,would you stop em ?

I agree with you entirely. I just wanted to be sure that in advocating that transgender Sikhs go ahead and get sex changes, I do not violate the fundamental principles of Gurbani.