The Supreme Court of India had struck down the draconian
Article 377, that criminalised gay sex, on 6th September, 2018,. The judgement
was widely welcomed, but prejudices remain. Life is harsh for the LGBTQ
community in India.
However, some Indo-Canadians are coming out of the shadows, breaking the taboo
and living a life they aspired for. All this encapsulated in a new feature
documentary ‘Emergence: Out of the Shadows.’
The film has caught the fancy of the North American media. The
film, set to hit the Indian screen space soon, is relevant, as all characters
have an India
connection. Overpowering emotions, shocking revelations, sombre moods, teary eyed
narrative eventually meet a ray of hope as parents accept children
unconditionally, the way they are. Giving a new tone and tenor to the whole
idea of love.
For Kayden, Jag, and Amar, awakening to and expressing their
sexuality within conservative South Asian families was a lonely and terrifying
experience. Heart-wrenching and healing, their distinct coming-out paths offer
comfort, compassion, and inspiration to individuals and communities struggling
with acceptance.
The stories of Kayden, Amar, and Jag begin from a place of
darkness and emerge out of the shadows to a place of courage and hope. Imagine
you are a young international student from Punjab, studying Computer Science at
Langara College
in Vancouver.
Everything is going well and you are enjoying life in this beautiful west coast
Canadian city. You feel blessed. Then suddenly, overnight, your life comes
crashing apart. The relatives you are living with in Surrey
find out you are gay and kick you out of their house. Your cousin physically
assaults you. Then your mother and father and family in Punjab
has disowned you and want nothing to do with you. You are trapped in a foreign
country with no money for food, shelter or to pay your college fees. Your
immigration status is in limbo. What would you do? How would you survive?
This is the opening premise of the feature documentary film - ‘Emergence: Out of the Shadows’. Emergence
moves beyond being a true story of survival, resourcefulness and resilience. It
illuminates the trauma of family rejection and its impact on emotional and
psychological health, especially for this young man, Kayden. The film explores
the struggles and strengths of two South Asians who have emerged from similar
experiences in Vancouver– a gay man, Amar, and lesbian, Jag. Sharing their
stories of coming out experiences within a traditional South Asian community
gives a rare glimpse into the challenges faced with traditional South Asian
families.
Produced by Alex Sangha who is the founder of "Sher
Vancouver", a not-for-profit society and registered charity
for LGBTQ+ South Asians. The Governor General of Canada awarded Sangha, a social
worker and counsellor, with the Meritorious Service Medal for founding Sher
Vancouver. Sangha dedicated this award to his Mother Jaspal Kaur, who raised
Sangha and his two brothers as a single parent. Sangha is also the
producer of “My Name Was January”, winner of 15 international awards and 66
official selections at film festivals around the world.
Directed by Vinay Giridhar, who says, “The film can help you understand
the unique challenges faced by LGBTQ community of South
Asia."
Alex Sangha has a Masters
in Public Administration and Public Policy from the Department of Government at
the London School of Economics, and a Masters in Social Work from Dalhousie University. In addition, he has a
Bachelor of Social Work from the University
of British Columbia. He
is a registered Clinical Social Worker and a Clinical Counsellor. His
mother Jaspal Sangha raised
her three boys alone. She is currently retired and has three beautiful
grandchildren. She is a single parent working as a nurse’s aide for many years.
Avtar and Rajwant Nagra are
devout Sikhs and after finding out that both of their children were gay, they
have spent a number of years being advocates to the LGBTQ community. Jag Nagra is an artist and has been
with Sher Vancouver since 2008, where she found a tremendous amount of support
and acceptance, while Kayden
Bhangu is a recent immigrant to Metro Vancouver from Punjab.
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