Alex Sangha is a Canadian social worker and documentary film producer. He is the founder of Sher Vancouver which is a registered charity for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI+) South Asians and their friends. Sangha was the first Sikh to become a Grand Marshal of the Vancouver Pride Parade. Sangha received the Meritorious Service Medal from Governor General Julie Payette in 2018 for his work founding Sher Vancouver. Sangha's first short documentary film, My Name Was January, won 14 awards and garnered 66 official selections at film festivals around the world. Sangha's debut feature documentary, Emergence: Out of the Shadows, was an official selection at Out on Film in Atlanta, Image+Nation in Montreal, and Reelworld in Toronto. The film was the closing night film at both the South Asian Film Festival of Montreal and the Vancouver International South Asian Film Festival where it picked up Best Documentary. Emergence: Out of the Shadows also had a double festival premiere at the KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival and the Mumbai International Film Festival during the same week, where it was in competition at both film festivals for Best Documentary. The film also had an in-person and online screening at the 46th annual Frameline: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival which is "the longest-running, largest and most widely recognized LGBTQ+ film exhibition event in the world."
Early life
Sangha was born in Gravesend, Kent, England. His birth name is Amar Singh Sangha. He was raised in metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, specifically Surrey and North Delta. His father, Dalbir Singh Sangha, and his mother, Jaspal Kaur Sangha, are both of the Sikh faith from Punjab, India. Sangha was largely raised by his mother. His mother received a standing ovation for delivering a speech about embracing her gay son in 2018. Sangha has an older and younger brother, and a half-brother through his father's second marriage.
Education and career
Sangha completed an MSc in Public Administration and Public Policy from the Department of Government from the London School of Economics. He has a Master of Social Work from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, as well as a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of British Columbia with a First Class Standing. In addition, Sangha completed an Associate of Arts Degree at Douglas College in New Westminster, British Columbia, and graduated Grade 12 from Frank Hurt Secondary in Surrey.
Sangha is a Registered Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Clinical Counsellor with a private counselling practice in North Delta. He previously worked as an instructor, clinician, social worker, team leader, and youth counsellor.
Personal life
Sangha identifies as a gay South Asian male and described his coming out experience as very alienating and isolating as a teenager, and he had a hard time with internalized homophobia. In November 2016, Sangha provided support and assistance for a Sikh international student from Punjab, India who was disowned by his family for being gay and who contacted Sher Vancouver for help. Sangha later referred to this student as part of the family. In May 2020, Sangha wrote a commentary which was published in The Times of India which described a "spiritual experience" he had when he was 19. The commentary further described the impact this experience had on his social work career and community service as a gay activist, as well as helping him come to terms with his sexuality as a gay Punjabi Sikh male. On October 10, 2020, on World Mental Health Day, the London School of Economics Alumni published on their internal communication channels and social media platforms a commentary Alex wrote about being "blessed with bipolar," because it makes him live as a creative humanitarian. He is also the recipient of the Courage to Come Back Award from Coast Mental Health for 2021. In January 2022, Sangha wrote a commentary that was published in India that explained his "spiritual philosophy" on being gay, having children, and God.
