While waiting in line at the Ohio State University Library, Kaur’s snapshot was taken unawares and published on Reddit. Depicting her wearing standard college student attire and a large, black turban as she glances at her cell phone, the photo captures her sparse facial hair, which emerged as the primary reason it was published. The caption snarkily quipped, “I’m not sure what to conclude from this.” In the aftermath of its publication, numerous comments followed, ranging in content from hypotheses about her gender identity to judgments for failure to shave, wax, or pluck.
When a friend notified her about the thread, Kaur decided to use this as an opportunity to educate people and set the record straight. She writes, “Hey guys. This is Balpreet Kaur, the girl from the picture. I’m not embarrassed or even humiliated by the attention that this picture is getting, because it’s who I am.” As a baptized Sikh woman, Kaur shared that her body is considered a sacred gift from God and as such, is forbidden from alteration.
Clarifying that the facial hair is a side effect of hormone levels from teenage years which have since returned to normal, she remarks “That’s fine :) I don’t regret anything, nor do I view it as an unfortunate thing.” Kaur explains that Sikhs view their bodies as an instrument of the divine; as a tool for service. Thus health is important, but altering the body’s natural expression is forbidden, regardless of social norms.
Sikhism, founded in India in the 15th century, includes the belief in the equality of all human beings and the presence of a single, omnipotent, omnipresent, genderless God; salvation occurs through spiritual union with this entity. A hallmark of formal initiation into the faith is a vow that includes leaving body hair uncut.
“Yes, I'm a baptized Sikh woman with facial hair. Yes, I realize that my gender is often confused and I look different than most women," wrote Kaur. "My attitude and thoughts and actions have more value in them than my body… by not focusing on the physical beauty, I have time to cultivate those inner virtues and hopefully, focus my life on creating change and progress for this world in any way I can."
The aftermath of Kaur’s commentary poignantly illustrated how one person’s voice can make a difference. Users from across the web reevaluated their initial responses, inspiring a flurry of posts expressing gratitude for her wisdom and the opportunity to look at themselves and the world a little differently.
In the sweetest stroke, the Reddit user who initially posted the photo started a new thread to apologize. He writes, “I feel the need to apologize to the Sikhs, Balpreet, and anyone else I offended when I posted that picture … It was an incredibly rude, judgmental, and ignorant thing to post. I’ve read more about the Sikh faith and it … makes a whole lot of sense to work on having a legacy and not worrying about what you look like … Balpreet, I’m sorry for being a closed minded individual. You are a much better person than I am. Sikhs, I’m sorry for insulting your culture and way of life. Balpreet’s faith in what she believes is astounding.”
In a follow-up post, Kaur shares, “Storytelling in itself is a way to fight the apathy in this world. By simple interactions like this, we can better understand each other and make this world more open and loving even if it is just one person or many.”
What thoughts do you have on the story of this inspiring woman?
