Arpinder Kaur you may already know as the first turbaned pilot in the US. Recently she spoke at the Sikh coming of age ceremonies for a young Singh and Kaur in Washington. Though her talk was given to a limited audience it sounds like an address to the Sikh nation. What she says here is very important.
"I truly feel honored to be given this opportunity (to speak at this ceremony). Through my thoughts which I believe to be intellectually where I need to stand as a Sikh, I feel are no where close to where I am today as a Sikh. It is a journey through which I've come to this point in my life. I believe and know that we can not LOOK like a Sikh if we are not LIVING as a Sikh should be, and vice versa. For a Sikh without Bani there is no bana. With Bani and no Bana it doesn't make sense either.
Because f we are not internally strong which we become only through Gurbani, we're not able to show our unshaken external strength.
ਹਉ ਗੋਸਾਈ ਦਾ ਪਹਿਲਵਾਨੜਾ ॥
ਮੈ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਉਚ ਦੁਮਾਲੜਾ ॥
'I am a wrestler who belongs to the Creator of the world.
Through meeting with the Guru I have tied a dumalla.' (Ang 73)
One fact that I'll like to mention which is very near and dear to me is the gender bias in us. I know according to our code of conduct, our rehit maryada, it mentions only male gender is required to represent his connection, his identity as a Sikh. But then are we proving our Guru wrong who said, 'Khalsa mero roop hai khas. Khalse maiho karo nivas." The Guru was addressing everyone, whoever is a Guru-oriented person. So why should I as a Guru-di-Sikhni should have different requirements then my fellow Singhs.
The Guru's also never made us separate in Guru Granth Sahib ji by not differentiating us with pronouns..."