Being Punjabi and LGBTQ+

Open Minds July 2020 - Being Punjabi and LGBTQ+

Like lots of other groups, we have had to move our face to face Punjabi LGBTQ+ support group to an online only space because of the coronavirus pandemic. This is a summary of our July meeting.

At July's meeting we welcomed a couple of new faces and we talked about the strengths and challenges that ‘Punjabi-ness’ can have on our relationships. We talked about our experiences of growing up with various forms of Punjabi culture, and how family networks could be both a good and a bad thing when it comes to being LGBTQ+.

Some of us really appreciated having a network of family to socialise with and to rely on when times were hard. For some of us the family network was a toxic place where people negatively judged our sexuality and relationships.

It can be painful when we feel judged by others for our sexuality but we have a choice to listen or ignore these opinions. Try to avoid people who have a toxic effect on your mental health or wellbeing. They’re entitled to their opinions but you don’t have to listen to them!

We ended the meeting with the realisation that we belong in Punjabi spaces whether people like it or not! It’s time to reclaim our space!

The Open Minds Project