Maria Cootauco, The Province

A social group for gay Sikhs is hoping that its appearance in Vancouver's Pride Parade today will help shed some of the stigma tied to homosexuality in the community.

"The culture is not very accepting," Amar Sangha, 36-year-old founder of Sher Vancouver -- or "Share" Vancouver -- a support service for Sikh gays and their friends and families. "I remember how difficult it was for me.

"I don't want anything like that in the Sikh community. I want it to be more accepting and more tolerant."

Sher Vancouver will be the first-ever Sikh-specific gay group to march at the annual parade -- expected to be large and well-attended as it celebrates its 30th anniversary, according to John Boychuk, president of the Vancouver Pride Society.

"The South-East Asians are one of the groups that are facing the greatest number of challenges simply because of their faith and tradition," he said.

"But at the same time, they're standing up to make a call for change within their own community."