Amritsar Pride Parade cancelled amid backlash; ‘I can’t stop adorning the turban, but my emotions are natural’

Amritsar: The upcoming Pride Parade in Amritsar, scheduled for April 27, has been cancelled by its organisers following a wave of protests and online backlash, particularly after a video involving turbaned Sikh youth went viral on social media.

One of the youths featured in the clip, speaking anonymously to the media, said, “I have been associated with Sikhism since childhood and also read Gurbani. It is my religion to decorate the turban — I cannot leave it — but the emotions in my body are natural.”

He added that the viral video was not from Amritsar but from Chandigarh and was recorded two to three weeks ago. “I don’t know why or who made it viral now. It is causing mental agony to me and my family,” he said.

In the viral clip, some Sikh youths can be seen dancing while wearing turbans. Social media users targeted them with abusive comments, focusing particularly on their attire.

The organisers of the Amritsar Pride Parade announced its cancellation through a statement on their Instagram page, ‘Pride Amritsar’, saying they were receiving backlash and derogatory remarks. The group has been organising the event since 2019, aiming to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Protests against the event intensified after the video surfaced. Some socio-religious groups said they would not allow such a parade to take place in Amritsar, which they described as the holy city of Sikhism.

Defending the community, Simran, an activist with ‘Queering in Chandigarh’ and Pride Chandigarh, said, “I belong to the Sikh religion and it is not right to take away anyone’s rights on the basis of religious sentiments.”

The controversy has ignited a larger conversation around the intersection of faith, identity, and personal freedom within the LGBTQIA+ Sikh community.