As humans, Men and Women have rights, and a voice to ensure those rights are protected. However, in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan there is a community that has been stripped from the title of human, they have neither rights nor a voice to demand them. The Transgender community of Pakistan has faced extreme violence, hate and injustice and their crime is but one, being born.
The stigma attached to transgender has destroyed more lives than any member of government would take responsibility for. More than 65 transgender women have been murdered in the past few years only in one province of Pakistan, imagine how many went unreported overall the country. They are deprived of the love we all receive when we are born, their birth is treated as a time of mourning for the family, and instead of tears of joy they are welcomed into this world with bellows of sorrow. Most families refuse to accept them as their child and they end up on the streets or in charity centres. Throughout their lives they are exploited; mentally, physically and sexually abused. They are victims of hate crime and expected to dance to earn, expected to put on a good show and expected to sell their bodies to feed themselves.
Education is a foreign concept in their community as esteemed establishments do not enroll such ominous people. Those who are left for the streets cannot afford it and those who are reluctantly accepted into the family are not sent to schools for the fear of society and the shame they will bring to the family. They are denied from entering shopping malls, game arcades, and even most restaurants. Ever since Pakistan was created, the transgender community has been living in shadows, silent and put down.
There have been many reported cases of social violence and police brutality against the people of the community whenever they raise voices and demand rights and protection since well-educated people in the Police and Government still believe that these people are not humans and do not deserve basic rights. They have told the media that when they go to report a hate crime and demand to file an FIR, which is a basic right of every individual, they are laughed at, cursed and man handled by most high ranking police officers.
Until recently, the transgender community was not allowed by law to own property without being given a medical identity, or open a bank account in their name. Julie, a hermaphrodite and a social rights activist said “people have only now learned what it is like to be in lockdown due to the pandemic, our community has been living in lockdown ever since we were born. And still you all are better off, you have homes and families."
Hermaphrodites of this country face not one but two wars, a war with their soul first as described by Sarah Gill, another transgender, “A normal person can never understand our state of mind. It is like a soul trapped in a wrong body”. Their hearts battle with their bodies every day giving rise to extreme anxiety, restlessness and depression. The other war is their ongoing battle with society and hate.
And yet, despite the hate they unjustly get, they are loving people who give love to those who are deprived of it just like they were, they have built a strong community for everyone who feels unwelcomed In the society, they spread happiness and smiles everywhere they go. They protect each other as no one protected them and they are one of the most hardworking and resilient community In Pakistan. They refer to each other as khawaja sira or Murats i.e. a mix of “mard” (Urdu word for male) and “aurat” (Urdu word for female).
Only recently there has been some development after the passing of Transgender persons (protection of rights) Act, 2018, due to irrepressible efforts by various NGOSs such as Wajood, The Gender Guardian (TGG) and blue veins. A school purely for Murats of Pakistan was opened in 2018 in Lahore to promote education within the community, to this day it faces backlash and problems with insufficient resources. A senate committee determined that they could inherit property in Feb 2018 and Pakistani banks allowed them to open bank accounts in August 2018 by adding a box under gender in their name.
Since the act, many transgender men and women have made their mark in various professions such as the first Pakistani Transgender lawyer; Nisha Rao in 2020, the first Pakistani Transgender news anchor and media figure; Marvia Malik made her debut in 2018, the first Pakistani Transgender doctor; Sarah Gill, the first Pakistani Transgender fashion model, Kami Sid, the first Pakistani Transgender woman to represent Pakistan in the UN; Ayesha Moghul appointed in 2019 and the first Pakistani transgender chartered accountant; Mahnoor.
It was imperative to name these women as their stories are nothing short of an inspiration for millions of others. These and more have given a voice to their community and made it clear that with proper resources and support they can lead just as normal and successful lives as others. Many of these women had to let the medical board choose a gender for them, many of these women had to hide their identities throughout their education to not be kicked out of those establishments, Many of these women were manhandled and put in jail for raising their voices. All of these women were threatened and abandoned by their own families.
These women and others have made us all proud by rising through the flames of hell lit by their own fellow humans. There has been progress but the fact that these struggles were necessary is a shame. There is a long way to go before they are fully accepted as respectable members of the society but I hope that day is not far as they deserve nothing less.
