This year, Amritsar Pride was supposed to be a celebration.
Since 2019, it had quietly become one of the few LGBTQ+ pride events in northern India that not only grew year by year, but did so peacefully in a city considered the spiritual heart of Punjab.
But this year was different.
Organisers were forced to cancel the 2025 event following a wave of threats and intimidation on social media. Many of those threats came from individuals identifying themselves as Sikh activists.
For those of us who grew up revering the teachings of the Sikh Gurus, the news hits harder than just the loss of an event. It’s a moment of reckoning.
Because if we’re threatening queer people in the name of the Gurus—we have forgotten who the Gurus were.
The Gurus Didn’t Just Preach Freedom—They Fought for It
We don’t need to invent new ideas of justice. Our Gurus already gave us the blueprint.
- Guru Nanak Dev Ji broke barriers everywhere he walked—rejecting caste, patriarchy, and hollow rituals. His message was radical: all are equal before the Divine.
- Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji didn’t die for Sikhs. He gave his life to protect the religious freedom of Kashmiri Pandits, a community with entirely different beliefs. That’s the level of commitment our tradition holds for universal human rights.
- Guru Gobind Singh Ji, through the creation of the Khalsa, envisioned a community of saint-soldiers—those who would defend the weak and stand against tyranny, even when it came from within.
And within this tradition of spiritual depth and openness, we must also remember:
Peer Shah Hussain, the 16th-century Punjabi Sufi poet known for his deep love for Madho Lal, was welcomed in the court of Guru Arjan Dev Ji. His poetry was not only admired—it was celebrated.
That tells us something vital: queer love and divine love have always existed side by side in the spiritual and poetic heritage of Punjab. This isn’t foreign to Sikh history. It’s part of it.
Spirituality Isn’t About Policing Others
One of the most powerful lines in Sikh scripture says:
“Man Jeetai Jag Jeet” – “Conquer the mind, and you conquer the world.”
It’s not about controlling someone else’s body, identity, or expression.
It’s about looking inward.
Taming the ego.
Seeing the Divine in all.
Sikh spirituality is internal—not performative. It doesn’t care what you wear, how you look, or who you love. It cares how you love, how you serve, and how much compassion you carry.
🗣 Voices of Sikh Allies
Here’s what some Sikh allies had to say in response to the cancellation:
“My Guru told me to stand with the persecuted, not to become the persecutor. LGBTQ+ people have the right to live and love in dignity—just like everyone else.”
— Jaspreet Kaur, educator
“You can’t chant ‘Sarbat da Bhala’ and then exclude people from it. That’s not Sikhi.”
— Simran Singh, author
“If LGBTQ+ youth are under threat, I have to speak up. That’s what my dastaar means to me.”
— Harjit Dhillon, Khalsa Aid volunteer
“Our community must stop mistaking cultural discomfort for spiritual truth.”
— Amritpal Dhaliwal, mental health advocate
These aren’t isolated voices. There is no contradiction between being Sikh and being an ally to LGBTQ+ people. In fact, allyship is a spiritual responsibility.
What Now?
We can’t undo what happened. But we can ask ourselves:
- Are we aligning with the compassionate courage of our Gurus?
- Are we protecting the vulnerable—or targeting them?
- Are we truly living Sarbat da Bhala?
Because it’s easy to wear a Kara.
It’s harder to live with integrity.
If You Love the Gurus, Protect Their Legacy
Amritsar is a city built on spiritual resistance.
It’s where pilgrims come seeking peace.
It’s where Guru Arjan Dev Ji was martyred for his truth.
It’s where Peer Shah Hussain’s poetry once echoed through the Guru’s court.
And it’s where we must now ask:
What kind of legacy are we living into?
Let this not be the end of Amritsar Pride—but a call to the Sikh spirit.
A call to love louder.
To protect stronger.
To remember: no one should live in fear for being who they are.
Not in Punjab.
Not in the Guru’s house.
Not anywhere.
- When Pride Is Silenced in the City of the Gurus - April 7, 2025