Pakistani society looks other way as gay men party | World news | The Guardian

Contents:

• GAY PAKISTAN: WHERE SEX IS AVAILABLE AND RELATNSHIPS ARE DIFFICULT
• GAY DATG PAKISTAN
• HOW GAY IS PAKISTAN?
• PAKISTAN: SUATN OF HOMOSEXUALS, CLUDG THE APPLITN OF LAWS TOWARDS HOMOSEXUALS, THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTNS OF HOMOSEXUALS AND THEIR OUT; WHETHER ANY REGNS HAVE AN OPEN AND ACTIVE GAY MUNY
• “BEG GAY PAKISTAN, WHAT A MISERABLE AND HARD LIFE!”
• THERE IS PLENTY OF GAY SEX KARACHI, PAKISTAN
• GAY PAKISTAN - A COMPLEX SOCIETY
• PAKISTAN’S GAY COMMUNY QUIETLY BREAKG BARRIERSFREE TO BE YOU AND MEACTOR ASSAD KHAN IS PART OF A GENERATN OF YOUNG MEN BREAKG BARRIERS FOR GAYS NSERVATIVE PAKISTAN, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS PUNISHED BY PRISON OR WORSE.SAMI YOAFZAIRON MOREUPDATED DEC. 21, 2021 10:39AM EST / PUBLISHED OCT. 30, 2013 5:45AM EDT ASSAD KHAN KNEW HE WAS DIFFERENT OM A VERY YOUNG AGE. AS A CHILD AT HOME HE PREFERRED PLAYG WH HIS TWO SISTERS RATHER THAN HIS TWO BROTHERS. AT SCHOOL, TOO, HE GRAVATED TOWARD PLAYG WH GIRLS. “IN SCHOOL I WAS MORE SECURE AND HAPPY PLAYG WH GIRLS THAN WH BOYS,” SAYS THE 23-YEAR-OLD, BOYISHLY HANDSOME KHAN. AS A RULT OF HIS BEHAVR, HE SAYS, HIS FAY LARGELY IGNORED HIM. “I GOT A TERRIBLE PLEX AS MY FAY FAVORED, AND GAVE MORE ATTENTN TO, MY BROTHERS,” HE RELLS.AS HE GREW UP ISLAMABAD, REACHED PUBERTY AND REALIZED HE WAS GAY, HE SUFFERED EVEN MORE. “BEG A GAY A SOCIETY LIKE PAKISTAN IS NOT EASY,” KHAN SAYS. “FOR A LONG TIME, I WAS IGHTENED OF WHO I WAS, SO I HID MY GAY STAT…I ACTED 24 HOURS A DAY.”EVEN SO, HE WAS NSTANTLY TEASED AND HARASSED FOR HIS APPEARANCE AND MANNERISMS, EVEN OSTRACIZED. HIS PARENTS AND S MA FUN OF HIM. HIS PARENTS WERE ASHAMED TO TRODUCE HIM AS PART OF THE FAY. “AT THE MOSQUE DURG FRIDAY PRAYERS I WAS TEASED AND STARED AT,” HE RELLS. “AT SCHOOL AND LLEGE OTHER STUNTS SHUNNED ME AND MY SMALL CIRCLE OF IENDS.”NOW A SUCCSFUL ACTOR AND FASHN SIGNER, KHAN HAS LIVED AND WORKED THE NSERVATIVE AND BOMB-TERRORIZED NORTHWTERN CY OF PHAWAR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. “I FELT THAT SOCIETY WAS TELLG ME I WAS NOT ONE OF THEM, THAT I WAS NOT A PROPER PERSON,” HE SAYS. “BUT SOON I REALIZED THAT ’S NOT MY FLT THAT GOD MA ME GAY. SO AS A YOUNG MAN I ME TO ACCEPT WHO I WAS AND TO BE PROUD OF MYSELF.” HE HAS FLOURISHED EVER SCE HE MA THAT REALIZATN—SUCCEEDG AGAST ALL THE ODDS HOMOPHOBIC PAKISTAN, WHERE THE POWERFUL MLIM CLERGY PREACH THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS PROHIBED UNR ISLAM, AND WHERE SODOMY IS ILLEGAL UNR THE CIVIL AND PUNISHABLE BY A LONG JAIL TERM (THOUGH THE HARSH SENTENCE IS RARELY HAND DOWN). IN THE TALIBAN-NTROLLED TERRORY OF THE NORTHWTERN TRIBAL AGENCI, THE PENALTY IS WORSE: ATH BY FIRG SQUAD OR STONG. EVEN THE MAN ON THE STREET SEEMS TO HAVE NO TIME FOR GAYS. A PEW REARCH CENTER SURVEY OF 39 UNTRI PUBLISHED EARLY JUNE FOUND THAT ONLY TWO PERCENT OF PAKISTANIS BELIEVED THAT “SOCIETY SHOULD ACCEPT HOMOSEXUALY,” SEND ONLY TO NIGERIA, WHICH REGISTERED A ROCK-BOTTOM ONE PERCENT ACCEPTANCE RATG OF GAYS. (BY WAY OF PARISON, 80 PERCENT OF CANADIANS SAID THEY ACCEPTED GAYS.)WHILE THE PAKISTANI ERNMENT DON’T TARGET LGBT CIZENS, NEHER DO HAVE MUCH TOLERANCE FOR THE GAY MUNY OR S ISSU. LATE LAST MONTH AND WHOUT MENT, ISLAMABAD SHUT DOWN THE UNTRY’S FIRST AND ONLY GAY WEBSE, , WHICH WAS FIRST LNCHED LAST JULY. THE WEBSE’S FOUNR, WHO GO BY THE PSDONYM FAKHIR, SAYS THE BAN IS “UNNSTUTNAL AND OPPOS EEDOM OF SPEECH.” BUT HE DO NOT WANT TO PURSUE LEGAL ACTN AS HE DON’T WANT A NONTATN WH THE ERNMENT, WHICH ULD UNMASK THOSE BEHD THE WEBSE WHOSE SUBTLE IS “KNOW , DON’T HATE US.” FAKHIR SAYS THE SE IS NOT “BLASPHEMO OR PORNOGRAPHIC” BUT IS AIMED AT TG GAYS ON HEALTH ISSU SUCH AS PREVENTG THE SPREAD OF HIV, AND ON HOW TO AL WH SOCIAL AND FAY PRSUR AND WH PRSN.BUCKG DISCRIMATN, KHAN, AN ETHNIC PASHTUN WHO GO BY THE NICKNAME OF DANNY, STUDIED FASHN SIGN AT A LLEGE ISLAMABAD AND QUICKLY FELL TO THE GROWG BS OF FASHN, MOLG AND ACTG. HIS ACTG REER GOT A BIG BOOST 2009 WHEN HE WAS ST A BRISH FILM, LLED KANDAHAR BREAK: FORTRS OF WAR, WHICH WAS BEG SHOT BALUCHISTAN, THE WILD-AND-WOOLLY HOME OF HIS ULTRA-TRADNAL SAFI TRIBE WTERN PAKISTAN. HE PLAYED A TALIBAN TERPRETER WH GAY TENNCI WHO WORKED FOR A BRISH EXPLOSIVE ORDANCE DISPOSAL TEAM THAT MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR’S REGIME HAD HIRED TO CLEAR ME FIELDS 1999.IN 2010, KHAN MOVED TO HEAVILY TALIBAN-FLUENCED PHAWAR TO FURTHER HIS ACTG AND FASHN REERS, BUT CHIEFLY TO BE CLOSER TO HIS PARTNER. AT FIRST HE WAS TERRIFIED, AAID OF THE TALIBAN AND THE EQUENT TERROR BOMBGS. EVERY DAY HE UTLY EMERGED OM HIS HOTEL FILLED WH TREPIDATN. BUT HE WAS SOON PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY WHAT HE FOUND: GAYS WERE NOT AS UNWELE AND UNR THE GUN AS HE HAD IMAGED. ON THE NTRARY, HE QUICKLY RECEIVED A VIBE THAT MANY YOUNG MEN THE OSTENSIBLY MACHO, LARGELY ISLAMIST CY WERE GAY OR GAY-IENDLY. “IN PHAWAR I FEEL LIKE ALMOST EVERY SEND GUY IS GAY BY THE WAY THEY LOOK AND TALK,” HE SAYS. “ON THE STREETS AND THE MARKETS I THK MOST PEOPLE LOOK AT CUTE BOYS MORE THAN AT GIRLS.” BUT, HE ADDS: “UNFORTUNATELY GAYS FEEL THEY HAVE TO HI THEIR FEELGS AND THEIR TE SELV.”KHAN AND OTHER PAKISTANI GAYS SAY THAT BEG GAY PAKISTAN IS NOT ALL THAT UNUAL SPE THE OSTENSIBLY STRONG PREJUDICE AGAST HOMOSEXUALS. “I’VE FOUND THAT MALE-TO-MALE SEX IS MORE MON THAN YOU’D IMAGE OUR SOCIETY,” SAYS SHEHZAD, A SMART, FASHNABLE AND TED 25-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN OM LAHORE. A JUNE ARTICLE MOTHER JON MAGAZE NFIRMED SHEHZAD’S FEELG, REPORTG THAT PAKISTANIS LEAD THE WORLD GOOGLE SEARCH FOR THE TERMS “SHEMALE SEX,” “TEEN ANAL SEX” AND “MAN F---KG MAN.”PAKISTANI GAYS LIKE KHAN AND SHEHZAD SAY THE UNTRY IS RIFE WH HYPOCRISY. “I KNOW THAT SOME PAKISTANI POLICY MAKERS PRACTICE GAY LOVE PRIVATE, THEN GO OUT AND MAKE LAWS AGAST GAYS,” SAYS SHEHZAD. KHAN AGRE: “I KNOW THAT SOME PAKISTANI POLICIANS OF ALL PARTI, CLUDG THOSE OM RELIG PARTI, ARE TERTED GAY MEN,” HE SAYS. “EVEN SOME MEN WHO TEASED ME FOR BEG GAY SUDNLY E ON TO ME WHEN WE ARE A QUIET SPOT.” “IF YOU HEARD THE NAM OF THE PROMENT MEMBERS OF PAKISTANI SOCIETY WHO ARE GAY, YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE YOUR EARS,” ADDS CHDHRY JAVID, A 28-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN WHO WORKS FOR A FOREIGN AID AGENCY AND LIV A LUXURY APARTMENT ISLAMABAD.STILL, JAVID KEEPS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE CLOSET, HIDG OM HIS FAY AND IENDS, AND CLAIMG IS TOO EARLY FOR HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF. “IF WE E OUT, OUR FAI WILL CUT OUT LIKE A NCER,” HE SAYS. HE ADDS THAT HE’S ASHAMED THAT HE N’T TELL HIS PARENTS THAT HIS BT IEND IS ALSO HIS SEXUAL PARTNER WHOM HE LOV. “I SUFFER WHEN I LIE TO MY PARENTS SCRIBG HIM AS JT A GOOD IEND,” HE SAYS. SHEHZAD, TOO, SAYS ’S TOO EARLY FOR HIM TO E OUT. “SOCIETY DON’T ACCEPT ,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T DARE TO GO PUBLIC.” FAISAL KHAN, A 28-YEAR-OLD ERNMENT BURECRAT PHAWAR, SAYS HE WOULD GET FIRED OR WORSE IF HE ME OUT. (HE IS NOT RELATED TO ASSAD KHAN.) “I NNOT EXPOSE MYSELF,” HE SAYS. “PEOPLE THE OFFICE WOULD E AGAST ME AND I’D LOSE MY JOB.” FAISAL KHAN SAYS HE DON’T DARE VIS HIS FAY’S HOME VILLAGE JT SOUTH OF PHAWAR FOR FEAR THE TALIBAN WOULD FD OUT ABOUT HIS GAYNS AND PTURE HIM, G A SNDAL FOR HIS FAY. NOR WOULD HE DARE TO NFS HIS SEXUAL PERSUASN TO THE MULLAH AT HIS MOSQUE. “HE WOULD PROBABLY SEND ME TO THE TALIBAN WHO WOULD MAKE A KEBAB OF ME,” HE SAYS.EVEN SO, FAISAL KHAN AND OTHER PAKISTANI GAY MEN SEE HOPE THE FUTURE AS THEY SENSE THAT PUBLIC ATTUS ARE SLOWLY CHANGG. FOR STARTERS, PEOPLE ARE BEGNG TO TOLERATE UNMARRIED YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN NGREGATG TOGETHER PUBLIC. IF THE PUBLIC IS BEGNG TO ACCEPT MEN AND WOMEN DATG, THEY REASON, THEN EVENTUALLY GAY RELATNSHIPS WILL ALSO BE TOLERATED. WEARG A SU AND RED TIE AND SPORTG LONG BLACK HAIR, FAISAL KHAN POTS TO THE NUMERO HETEROSEXUAL UPL STG TOGETHER A MORN UNIVERSY TOWN Fé PHAWAR, TALKG AND LGHG AS THEY EAT WTERN FOOD AND LISTEN TO ROCK MIC. “LOOK, THE BOYS AND GIRLS ARE HERE PUBLIC WHOUT ANY HATN OR FEAR OF SOCIETY OR THE TALIBAN,” HE SAYS. JAVID SAYS THAT A AGO YOU WOULD NEVER SEE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HOLDG HANDS PUBLIC. NOW IS ALMOST MON THE CI. IRONILLY, ’S NOT UNMON, AND NOT VIEWED AS HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVR, FOR YOUNG MEN TO HOLD HANDS PUBLIC AS THEY WALK—’S A CTOMARY SIGN OF IENDSHIP.BUT THERE ARE STILL STRICT LIMS. IN RAL, TRADNAL PAKISTAN THERE IS A CLEAR SEPARATN OF THE SEX AS BOYS AND GIRLS ARE FORBIDN TO MEET PUBLIC. YET THE TRADN-BOUND NF OF THE UNTRYSI, IS EASIER FOR GAY PAKISTANI UPL TO NGREGATE PUBLIC THAN FOR MIXED-SEX UPL. “IT’S NORMAL FOR A GROUP OF MEN TO HANG OUT TOGETHER SO NO ONE N BOTHER ,” SAYS JAVID. “BUT SOME TRADNAL AREAS, BOYS AND GIRLS GOG OUT TOGETHER IS STILL A S AGAST SOCIETY AND OUR RELIGN.” JAVID ADDS THAT VIEWG HOMOSEXUALY AS A S, AS MOST PAKISTANIS DO, IS ABSURD SCE THERE IS NO VICTIM. “AREN’T THE RAMPANT RPTN OUR SOCIETY AND THE KILLG OF NOCENTS BY THE TALIBAN GREATER SS?” JAVID ASKS.FOR MOST GAYS PAKISTAN, SOCIETY’S VIEWS ARE NOT CHANGG FAST ENOUGH. SO FOR NOW, THEY ARE FORCED TO LIVE LARGELY AN UNRGROUND EXISTENCE. THEY POT TO THE MANY AND LAVISH SUBTERRANEAN GAY PARTI AS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR SOCIAL LIV. “THE WEEKLY UNRGROUND PARTI KEEP HAPPY,” SAYS SHEHZAD. “HERE WE HAVE A PLACE TO ENJOY OURSELV HIDN OM THE TALIBAN, THE ERNMENT AND THE POLICE.” ORGANIZG THE EXTRAVAGANT, GAY PARTI ISLAMABAD AND PHAWAR HAS BEE A GOOD BS FOR ASSAD KHAN. HE SAYS THAT MANY OF THE PARTI HE ANIZ ST $5,000 OR MORE TO VER THE EXPENSE OF RENTG A LARGE, POSH HOE OR RECEPTN HALL, PROVIDG PRIVATE SECURY, LIVE BANDS, FOOD AND DRKS AND PAYG OFF THE PS. PARTYERS PAY AN ADMISSN CHARGE, ALLOWG KHAN TO MAKE A PROF. “ISLAMABAD IS A CY FAMO FOR THE BIGGT NUMBER OF GAY PARTI,” ASSAD KHAN SAYS. “THE NUMBER OF THE PARTI, AND THE NUMBER OF GAYS ATTENDG, IS CREASG, EVEN PHAWAR.” HE ALSO HELPED ANIZE A SUMMER MIC FTIVAL THE MOUNTA RORT OF SWAT THIS PAST SUMMER THE FACE OF TALIBAN THREATS, AND HE PLANS TO BRG FASHN SHOWS TO NSERVATIVE PHAWAR SOON.ALTHOUGH MAY BE PREMATURE, KHAN IS TRYG TO ANIZE A GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT PABLE OF STANDG UP TO THE TALIBAN, THE POLICIANS AND AGGRSIVE PAKISTANI PS. AS A RULT OF HIS EFFORTS, HE HAS RECEIVED ANONYMO, THREATENG PHONE LLS AND HAS PED AN ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP HIM AT A WEDDG RECEPTN NOT LONG AGO. BUT HE REMAS UNSHAKEN. “WE HAVE TO FEAT THE NCEPT OF FEAR AND TERROR,” HE SAYS. “EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE AS THEY PLEASE. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DICTATE TO .” HE ADDS: “I WANT TO BE A LEADG VOICE FOR GAY RIGHTS AND PROTECTN.”BUT HE QUICKLY EMPHASIZ THAT HIS PH FOR GAY RIGHTS STOPS SHORT OF MPAIGNG FOR THE LEGALIZATN OF GAY MARRIAGE. “WE DON’T WANT TO PH FOR GAY MARRIAGE, ONLY FOR OUR HUMAN RIGHTS,” HE SAYS. MOST OTHER GAYS STEER CLEAR OF ANY GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, FEARG RETALIATN. “THE TALIBAN AND OTHER EXTREMISTS WILL TARGET ANY GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT,” SAYS SHEHZAD. “IT’S TOO DANGERO TO GET VOLVED.” SAMI YOAFZAI
• ESPE OM KABUL: PART III - LIFE AS A GAY MAN PAKISTAN
• PAKISTANI SOCIETY LOOKS OTHER WAY AS GAY MEN PARTY
• 'HAPPY AND GAY' PAKISTAN?
• TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ALIGHT AFTER THE ACTOR SAID PLAYG THE ROLE ‘BROKE HIM’

GAY PAKISTAN: WHERE SEX IS AVAILABLE AND RELATNSHIPS ARE DIFFICULT

"In almost all s charg will be dropped, Iqbal says, but the boys will be forced to get married by their ocsnally, though, Pakistani parents do rencile themselv to children enterg a long-term gay and Ali are one such uple who have ma thgs work, agast the odds.

GAY DATG PAKISTAN

But there will still be private spac where gay Pakistanis n exprs their sexualy of the nam of the ntributors have been changed to protect their n hear more on this story on BBC Rad 4's Crossg Contents, on Thursday 29 Augt at 11:00am or on Assignment on the World Service on the same day.

Keywords: AIDS and fectns, gay and lbian movement, gay muni, gay rights, genr inty, health servic accsibily, homophobia, homophobic asslt, homosexual men, homosexual relatnships, homosexual sex, homosexualy, Islam, Islamic culture, LGBT, LGBT issu, LGBT movement, LGBT workers, Pakistan, ral areas, Safe sex, Sexually transmted disease screeng, Sexually transmted diseas: preventn, transgenr discrimatn, transgenr movement, transgenr rights, transgenred persons. Unr Sectn 377 of the untry's penal , homosexualy is not explicly mentned, but "rnal terurse agast the orr of nature" is punishable by a fe and/or imprisonment for a perd of two years to life (UN 10 May 2005; Pakistan n.

Acrdg to a 10 May 2005 article published by the Uned Natns (UN) Integrated Regnal Informatn Networks (IRIN), homosexuals Pakistan "live nstant fear of beg 'outed' [the untry's] stnchly nservative society which is largely ignorant and tolerant of sexual mori. " Ced the same article, a reprentative of a lol non-ernmental anizatn (NGO) stated that if an dividual openly mpaigned for gay rights the untry, he or she uld end up beg killed by relig followers (UN 10 May 2005).

HOW GAY IS PAKISTAN?

Two sourc dite that cultural practic Pakistan, which perm public displays of affectn between members of the same genr, make possible for gay men to socialize whout attractg attentn (BBC 2 June 2005; The Guardian 14 Mar. Inter s, cludg: Amnty Internatnal (AI), European Country of Orig Informatn Network (),, Gay Tim [London],, Human Rights Commissn of Pakistan (HRCP), Human Rights Watch (HRW), Office of the Uned Natns High Commissner for Refuge (UNHCR), Uned Kgdom Home Office, Uned Stat Department of State. Pakistan, one of the most homophobic natns on earth, nohels has a highly vibrant gay subculture, particularly the Arabian Sea metropolis of Karachi, spe the official censure of a very nservative society and harsh laws imposed by the state.

PAKISTAN: SUATN OF HOMOSEXUALS, CLUDG THE APPLITN OF LAWS TOWARDS HOMOSEXUALS, THE NUMBER OF PROSECUTNS OF HOMOSEXUALS AND THEIR OUT; WHETHER ANY REGNS HAVE AN OPEN AND ACTIVE GAY MUNY

”The report not that homosexualy is rife a natn where premaral heterosexual sex (even the mixg of young men and women) is gravely owned upon – as a nsequence, young men are forced to seek sexual satisfactn om others of their own genr. And, apparently, for men to fd same-sex partners whout the burns of tablishg any kd of relatnship a untry where such activi have to rema secret and bizarre dual nature of Pakistani society and s attus towards homosexualy reflects both a nservative mdset that is endorsed by relig lears and policians and a laissez-faire approach to same-sex activy by the thori.

-based Pew Rearch Center, while 87 percent of the populatn of Pakistan oppose the legalizatn of homosexualy (one of the hight rat the world, but normal for the Mlim world), Pakistan nohels leads the world Google search for gay sex imag and porn. Dpe Baaghi’s strint nials, homosexualy has long been a val part of Pakistani culture, particularly among the Pathan peopl of the northwtern Aten Soofi, a Delhi-based thor and blogger, wrote that Pakistan is “teemg wh homosexuals” and that durg his first vis to the untry the mid-2000s he was sometim acsted by men seekg gay sex. "In villag throughout the untry, young boys are often forcibly 'taken' by olr men, startg a cycle of abe and revenge that social activists and observers say is the mon pattern of homosexual sex Pakistan, " said a report the Boston Globe.

Yet gay sex is apparently prevalent the untry, which is home to 183 ln people, some 97% of whom are the BBC's Mobeen Azhar reports  a fascatg vtigatn, the batn of the prevalence of gay mobile apps like Grdr and Scff, pl the on of arranged marriage, has ma the Pakistani cy of Karachi — the natn's biggt cy, at nearly 24 ln people — a hotbed of gay sex, even if actually matag a gay liftyle is still credibly difficult.

“BEG GAY PAKISTAN, WHAT A MISERABLE AND HARD LIFE!”

Earlier this summer, for example, the Pew Rearch Center found that Pakistan was simultaneoly one of the most tolerant untri the world for gay people while at the same time beg one of the world lears searchg for gay porn.

That don't entirely sound like paradise to 's Note: We changed the wordg the lead paragraph to make the tentn of the article more clear: that there is plenty of (technilly) illegal gay sex gog on article is om the archive of our partner The Wire. NewsSutedPOLITICSBin WorldElectnsOpnNatnal SecuryCongrsPay DirtThe New AbnormalTmplandCOUPONSVistaprt CouponsUlta CouponsOffice Depot CouponsAdidas Promo CosWalmart Promo CosH&M CouponsSpanx Promo CosStubHub Promo CosHOMEPAGEActor Assad Khan is part of a generatn of young men breakg barriers for gays nservative Pakistan, where homosexualy is punished by prison or Khan knew he was different om a very young age.

THERE IS PLENTY OF GAY SEX KARACHI, PAKISTAN

”He has flourished ever sce he ma that realizatn—succeedg agast all the odds homophobic Pakistan, where the powerful Mlim clergy preach that homosexualy is prohibed unr Islam, and where sodomy is illegal unr the civil and punishable by a long jail term (though the harsh sentence is rarely hand down). A Pew Rearch Center survey of 39 untri published early June found that only two percent of Pakistanis believed that “society should accept homosexualy, ” send only to Nigeria, which registered a rock-bottom one percent acceptance ratg of gays.

He played a Taliban terpreter wh gay tennci who worked for a Brish explosive ordance disposal team that Mullah Mohammad Omar’s regime had hired to clear me fields 2010, Khan moved to heavily Taliban-fluenced Phawar to further his actg and fashn reers, but chiefly to be closer to his partner. ” “If you heard the nam of the proment members of Pakistani society who are gay, you wouldn’t believe your ears, ” adds Chdhry Javid, a 28-year-old gay man who works for a foreign aid agency and liv a luxury apartment , Javid keeps his sexual orientatn the closet, hidg om his fay and iends, and claimg is too early for him to reveal himself. Sce Pakistan’s nceptn, regardls of new rearch or unrstandg, every hoehold and stutn has accepted a dichotomo terpretatn of both sexualy and genr and has duced that homosexualy is a s that means natnal and relig exists, however, a world unbeknownst to those who choose not to look, a world that liv only shadows.

Many report an unshaken belief that Allah ma LGBTQ+ dividuals viant bee of a past mised, while many believe to be an immoral viancy where they have no optn but to adhere to the norms of the society to get back on the straight (heterosexual) rults many homosexual men gettg married, by choice or force, to heterosexual women early age. “Unr the weight of homophobia, heteronormativy and genrism, they are forced to adopt a liftyle acrdg to society’s assigned genr rol and expectatns, ” wr child psychiatrist Hassan Majeed on how Pakistan fails s LGBTQ+ youth by enforcg straight norms unr the guise of Pakistan, the argument of moraly is extremely skewed, regardls of your genr or sexualy. This outlook of immoraly, cludg wh the gay muny, leads to a plethora of issu cludg psychologil torment and sexual tratn, that turn lead to more societal problems such as sexual abe and privileged class, however, learns and approach life om a different perspective, one that reflects the liberal-progrsive thought of the Wtern natns and accepts the labels of LGBTQ+ and choos to intify as such.

GAY PAKISTAN - A COMPLEX SOCIETY

“I was happy for them, but that moment, I felt so sad and heartbroken that we [ Pakistan] will never get to experience that, ” said Sama, a 28-year-old self-intifyg non-bary person livg Lahore about the crimalizatn of homosexualy India. Even if they say they support you, they barely regnize your stggl and make seem like your flt and uldn’t re ls if we died, ” Omar one of the hight rat of suicis the untry, Pakistan’s gay muny fac a nstant threat wh their hoeholds, let alone the outsi world.

The Pakistani people have a lot to learn as they fight not jt the homophobia and ep-rooted patriarchy, but also the prevailg tn, extremism, fah, and even the are some who are challengg the stat quo and g out of the dark closets ways that have proven to be somewhat impactful.

2 Unlike lbians, gay men and bisexuals, the rights of trans persons are regnised unr the 2018 Transgenr Persons (Protectn of Rights) Act (TPPR Act), which allows trans people (fed the TPPR Act as tersex, nuchs, trans men and trans women) to self-intify, register to obta a driver’s license and passport, as well as the right to change and register their genr (if aged over 18) wh all ernment partments, cludg wh the Natnal Database and Registratn Authory (NADRA) who issue natnal inty rds, upon which trans persons are fed by an ‘X’. Some persons om a higher soc-enomic background urban areas may ‘e out’ to their fay or iends and have accs to the ‘unrground gay scene’ at private parti or on social media, but if their sexualy is known, they may be exposed to vlence or blackmail (see Societal attus and treatment).

PAKISTAN’S GAY COMMUNY QUIETLY BREAKG BARRIERSFREE TO BE YOU AND MEACTOR ASSAD KHAN IS PART OF A GENERATN OF YOUNG MEN BREAKG BARRIERS FOR GAYS NSERVATIVE PAKISTAN, WHERE HOMOSEXUALY IS PUNISHED BY PRISON OR WORSE.SAMI YOAFZAIRON MOREUPDATED DEC. 21, 2021 10:39AM EST / PUBLISHED OCT. 30, 2013 5:45AM EDT ASSAD KHAN KNEW HE WAS DIFFERENT OM A VERY YOUNG AGE. AS A CHILD AT HOME HE PREFERRED PLAYG WH HIS TWO SISTERS RATHER THAN HIS TWO BROTHERS. AT SCHOOL, TOO, HE GRAVATED TOWARD PLAYG WH GIRLS. “IN SCHOOL I WAS MORE SECURE AND HAPPY PLAYG WH GIRLS THAN WH BOYS,” SAYS THE 23-YEAR-OLD, BOYISHLY HANDSOME KHAN. AS A RULT OF HIS BEHAVR, HE SAYS, HIS FAY LARGELY IGNORED HIM. “I GOT A TERRIBLE PLEX AS MY FAY FAVORED, AND GAVE MORE ATTENTN TO, MY BROTHERS,” HE RELLS.AS HE GREW UP ISLAMABAD, REACHED PUBERTY AND REALIZED HE WAS GAY, HE SUFFERED EVEN MORE. “BEG A GAY A SOCIETY LIKE PAKISTAN IS NOT EASY,” KHAN SAYS. “FOR A LONG TIME, I WAS IGHTENED OF WHO I WAS, SO I HID MY GAY STAT…I ACTED 24 HOURS A DAY.”EVEN SO, HE WAS NSTANTLY TEASED AND HARASSED FOR HIS APPEARANCE AND MANNERISMS, EVEN OSTRACIZED. HIS PARENTS AND S MA FUN OF HIM. HIS PARENTS WERE ASHAMED TO TRODUCE HIM AS PART OF THE FAY. “AT THE MOSQUE DURG FRIDAY PRAYERS I WAS TEASED AND STARED AT,” HE RELLS. “AT SCHOOL AND LLEGE OTHER STUNTS SHUNNED ME AND MY SMALL CIRCLE OF IENDS.”NOW A SUCCSFUL ACTOR AND FASHN SIGNER, KHAN HAS LIVED AND WORKED THE NSERVATIVE AND BOMB-TERRORIZED NORTHWTERN CY OF PHAWAR FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS. “I FELT THAT SOCIETY WAS TELLG ME I WAS NOT ONE OF THEM, THAT I WAS NOT A PROPER PERSON,” HE SAYS. “BUT SOON I REALIZED THAT ’S NOT MY FLT THAT GOD MA ME GAY. SO AS A YOUNG MAN I ME TO ACCEPT WHO I WAS AND TO BE PROUD OF MYSELF.” HE HAS FLOURISHED EVER SCE HE MA THAT REALIZATN—SUCCEEDG AGAST ALL THE ODDS HOMOPHOBIC PAKISTAN, WHERE THE POWERFUL MLIM CLERGY PREACH THAT HOMOSEXUALY IS PROHIBED UNR ISLAM, AND WHERE SODOMY IS ILLEGAL UNR THE CIVIL AND PUNISHABLE BY A LONG JAIL TERM (THOUGH THE HARSH SENTENCE IS RARELY HAND DOWN). IN THE TALIBAN-NTROLLED TERRORY OF THE NORTHWTERN TRIBAL AGENCI, THE PENALTY IS WORSE: ATH BY FIRG SQUAD OR STONG. EVEN THE MAN ON THE STREET SEEMS TO HAVE NO TIME FOR GAYS. A PEW REARCH CENTER SURVEY OF 39 UNTRI PUBLISHED EARLY JUNE FOUND THAT ONLY TWO PERCENT OF PAKISTANIS BELIEVED THAT “SOCIETY SHOULD ACCEPT HOMOSEXUALY,” SEND ONLY TO NIGERIA, WHICH REGISTERED A ROCK-BOTTOM ONE PERCENT ACCEPTANCE RATG OF GAYS. (BY WAY OF PARISON, 80 PERCENT OF CANADIANS SAID THEY ACCEPTED GAYS.)WHILE THE PAKISTANI ERNMENT DON’T TARGET LGBT CIZENS, NEHER DO HAVE MUCH TOLERANCE FOR THE GAY MUNY OR S ISSU. LATE LAST MONTH AND WHOUT MENT, ISLAMABAD SHUT DOWN THE UNTRY’S FIRST AND ONLY GAY WEBSE, , WHICH WAS FIRST LNCHED LAST JULY. THE WEBSE’S FOUNR, WHO GO BY THE PSDONYM FAKHIR, SAYS THE BAN IS “UNNSTUTNAL AND OPPOS EEDOM OF SPEECH.” BUT HE DO NOT WANT TO PURSUE LEGAL ACTN AS HE DON’T WANT A NONTATN WH THE ERNMENT, WHICH ULD UNMASK THOSE BEHD THE WEBSE WHOSE SUBTLE IS “KNOW , DON’T HATE US.” FAKHIR SAYS THE SE IS NOT “BLASPHEMO OR PORNOGRAPHIC” BUT IS AIMED AT TG GAYS ON HEALTH ISSU SUCH AS PREVENTG THE SPREAD OF HIV, AND ON HOW TO AL WH SOCIAL AND FAY PRSUR AND WH PRSN.BUCKG DISCRIMATN, KHAN, AN ETHNIC PASHTUN WHO GO BY THE NICKNAME OF DANNY, STUDIED FASHN SIGN AT A LLEGE ISLAMABAD AND QUICKLY FELL TO THE GROWG BS OF FASHN, MOLG AND ACTG. HIS ACTG REER GOT A BIG BOOST 2009 WHEN HE WAS ST A BRISH FILM, LLED KANDAHAR BREAK: FORTRS OF WAR, WHICH WAS BEG SHOT BALUCHISTAN, THE WILD-AND-WOOLLY HOME OF HIS ULTRA-TRADNAL SAFI TRIBE WTERN PAKISTAN. HE PLAYED A TALIBAN TERPRETER WH GAY TENNCI WHO WORKED FOR A BRISH EXPLOSIVE ORDANCE DISPOSAL TEAM THAT MULLAH MOHAMMAD OMAR’S REGIME HAD HIRED TO CLEAR ME FIELDS 1999.IN 2010, KHAN MOVED TO HEAVILY TALIBAN-FLUENCED PHAWAR TO FURTHER HIS ACTG AND FASHN REERS, BUT CHIEFLY TO BE CLOSER TO HIS PARTNER. AT FIRST HE WAS TERRIFIED, AAID OF THE TALIBAN AND THE EQUENT TERROR BOMBGS. EVERY DAY HE UTLY EMERGED OM HIS HOTEL FILLED WH TREPIDATN. BUT HE WAS SOON PLEASANTLY SURPRISED BY WHAT HE FOUND: GAYS WERE NOT AS UNWELE AND UNR THE GUN AS HE HAD IMAGED. ON THE NTRARY, HE QUICKLY RECEIVED A VIBE THAT MANY YOUNG MEN THE OSTENSIBLY MACHO, LARGELY ISLAMIST CY WERE GAY OR GAY-IENDLY. “IN PHAWAR I FEEL LIKE ALMOST EVERY SEND GUY IS GAY BY THE WAY THEY LOOK AND TALK,” HE SAYS. “ON THE STREETS AND THE MARKETS I THK MOST PEOPLE LOOK AT CUTE BOYS MORE THAN AT GIRLS.” BUT, HE ADDS: “UNFORTUNATELY GAYS FEEL THEY HAVE TO HI THEIR FEELGS AND THEIR TE SELV.”KHAN AND OTHER PAKISTANI GAYS SAY THAT BEG GAY PAKISTAN IS NOT ALL THAT UNUAL SPE THE OSTENSIBLY STRONG PREJUDICE AGAST HOMOSEXUALS. “I’VE FOUND THAT MALE-TO-MALE SEX IS MORE MON THAN YOU’D IMAGE OUR SOCIETY,” SAYS SHEHZAD, A SMART, FASHNABLE AND TED 25-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN OM LAHORE. A JUNE ARTICLE MOTHER JON MAGAZE NFIRMED SHEHZAD’S FEELG, REPORTG THAT PAKISTANIS LEAD THE WORLD GOOGLE SEARCH FOR THE TERMS “SHEMALE SEX,” “TEEN ANAL SEX” AND “MAN F---KG MAN.”PAKISTANI GAYS LIKE KHAN AND SHEHZAD SAY THE UNTRY IS RIFE WH HYPOCRISY. “I KNOW THAT SOME PAKISTANI POLICY MAKERS PRACTICE GAY LOVE PRIVATE, THEN GO OUT AND MAKE LAWS AGAST GAYS,” SAYS SHEHZAD. KHAN AGRE: “I KNOW THAT SOME PAKISTANI POLICIANS OF ALL PARTI, CLUDG THOSE OM RELIG PARTI, ARE TERTED GAY MEN,” HE SAYS. “EVEN SOME MEN WHO TEASED ME FOR BEG GAY SUDNLY E ON TO ME WHEN WE ARE A QUIET SPOT.” “IF YOU HEARD THE NAM OF THE PROMENT MEMBERS OF PAKISTANI SOCIETY WHO ARE GAY, YOU WOULDN’T BELIEVE YOUR EARS,” ADDS CHDHRY JAVID, A 28-YEAR-OLD GAY MAN WHO WORKS FOR A FOREIGN AID AGENCY AND LIV A LUXURY APARTMENT ISLAMABAD.STILL, JAVID KEEPS HIS SEXUAL ORIENTATN THE CLOSET, HIDG OM HIS FAY AND IENDS, AND CLAIMG IS TOO EARLY FOR HIM TO REVEAL HIMSELF. “IF WE E OUT, OUR FAI WILL CUT OUT LIKE A NCER,” HE SAYS. HE ADDS THAT HE’S ASHAMED THAT HE N’T TELL HIS PARENTS THAT HIS BT IEND IS ALSO HIS SEXUAL PARTNER WHOM HE LOV. “I SUFFER WHEN I LIE TO MY PARENTS SCRIBG HIM AS JT A GOOD IEND,” HE SAYS. SHEHZAD, TOO, SAYS ’S TOO EARLY FOR HIM TO E OUT. “SOCIETY DON’T ACCEPT ,” HE SAYS. “I DON’T DARE TO GO PUBLIC.” FAISAL KHAN, A 28-YEAR-OLD ERNMENT BURECRAT PHAWAR, SAYS HE WOULD GET FIRED OR WORSE IF HE ME OUT. (HE IS NOT RELATED TO ASSAD KHAN.) “I NNOT EXPOSE MYSELF,” HE SAYS. “PEOPLE THE OFFICE WOULD E AGAST ME AND I’D LOSE MY JOB.” FAISAL KHAN SAYS HE DON’T DARE VIS HIS FAY’S HOME VILLAGE JT SOUTH OF PHAWAR FOR FEAR THE TALIBAN WOULD FD OUT ABOUT HIS GAYNS AND PTURE HIM, G A SNDAL FOR HIS FAY. NOR WOULD HE DARE TO NFS HIS SEXUAL PERSUASN TO THE MULLAH AT HIS MOSQUE. “HE WOULD PROBABLY SEND ME TO THE TALIBAN WHO WOULD MAKE A KEBAB OF ME,” HE SAYS.EVEN SO, FAISAL KHAN AND OTHER PAKISTANI GAY MEN SEE HOPE THE FUTURE AS THEY SENSE THAT PUBLIC ATTUS ARE SLOWLY CHANGG. FOR STARTERS, PEOPLE ARE BEGNG TO TOLERATE UNMARRIED YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN NGREGATG TOGETHER PUBLIC. IF THE PUBLIC IS BEGNG TO ACCEPT MEN AND WOMEN DATG, THEY REASON, THEN EVENTUALLY GAY RELATNSHIPS WILL ALSO BE TOLERATED. WEARG A SU AND RED TIE AND SPORTG LONG BLACK HAIR, FAISAL KHAN POTS TO THE NUMERO HETEROSEXUAL UPL STG TOGETHER A MORN UNIVERSY TOWN Fé PHAWAR, TALKG AND LGHG AS THEY EAT WTERN FOOD AND LISTEN TO ROCK MIC. “LOOK, THE BOYS AND GIRLS ARE HERE PUBLIC WHOUT ANY HATN OR FEAR OF SOCIETY OR THE TALIBAN,” HE SAYS. JAVID SAYS THAT A AGO YOU WOULD NEVER SEE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HOLDG HANDS PUBLIC. NOW IS ALMOST MON THE CI. IRONILLY, ’S NOT UNMON, AND NOT VIEWED AS HOMOSEXUAL BEHAVR, FOR YOUNG MEN TO HOLD HANDS PUBLIC AS THEY WALK—’S A CTOMARY SIGN OF IENDSHIP.BUT THERE ARE STILL STRICT LIMS. IN RAL, TRADNAL PAKISTAN THERE IS A CLEAR SEPARATN OF THE SEX AS BOYS AND GIRLS ARE FORBIDN TO MEET PUBLIC. YET THE TRADN-BOUND NF OF THE UNTRYSI, IS EASIER FOR GAY PAKISTANI UPL TO NGREGATE PUBLIC THAN FOR MIXED-SEX UPL. “IT’S NORMAL FOR A GROUP OF MEN TO HANG OUT TOGETHER SO NO ONE N BOTHER ,” SAYS JAVID. “BUT SOME TRADNAL AREAS, BOYS AND GIRLS GOG OUT TOGETHER IS STILL A S AGAST SOCIETY AND OUR RELIGN.” JAVID ADDS THAT VIEWG HOMOSEXUALY AS A S, AS MOST PAKISTANIS DO, IS ABSURD SCE THERE IS NO VICTIM. “AREN’T THE RAMPANT RPTN OUR SOCIETY AND THE KILLG OF NOCENTS BY THE TALIBAN GREATER SS?” JAVID ASKS.FOR MOST GAYS PAKISTAN, SOCIETY’S VIEWS ARE NOT CHANGG FAST ENOUGH. SO FOR NOW, THEY ARE FORCED TO LIVE LARGELY AN UNRGROUND EXISTENCE. THEY POT TO THE MANY AND LAVISH SUBTERRANEAN GAY PARTI AS THE HIGHLIGHT OF THEIR SOCIAL LIV. “THE WEEKLY UNRGROUND PARTI KEEP HAPPY,” SAYS SHEHZAD. “HERE WE HAVE A PLACE TO ENJOY OURSELV HIDN OM THE TALIBAN, THE ERNMENT AND THE POLICE.” ORGANIZG THE EXTRAVAGANT, GAY PARTI ISLAMABAD AND PHAWAR HAS BEE A GOOD BS FOR ASSAD KHAN. HE SAYS THAT MANY OF THE PARTI HE ANIZ ST $5,000 OR MORE TO VER THE EXPENSE OF RENTG A LARGE, POSH HOE OR RECEPTN HALL, PROVIDG PRIVATE SECURY, LIVE BANDS, FOOD AND DRKS AND PAYG OFF THE PS. PARTYERS PAY AN ADMISSN CHARGE, ALLOWG KHAN TO MAKE A PROF. “ISLAMABAD IS A CY FAMO FOR THE BIGGT NUMBER OF GAY PARTI,” ASSAD KHAN SAYS. “THE NUMBER OF THE PARTI, AND THE NUMBER OF GAYS ATTENDG, IS CREASG, EVEN PHAWAR.” HE ALSO HELPED ANIZE A SUMMER MIC FTIVAL THE MOUNTA RORT OF SWAT THIS PAST SUMMER THE FACE OF TALIBAN THREATS, AND HE PLANS TO BRG FASHN SHOWS TO NSERVATIVE PHAWAR SOON.ALTHOUGH MAY BE PREMATURE, KHAN IS TRYG TO ANIZE A GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT PABLE OF STANDG UP TO THE TALIBAN, THE POLICIANS AND AGGRSIVE PAKISTANI PS. AS A RULT OF HIS EFFORTS, HE HAS RECEIVED ANONYMO, THREATENG PHONE LLS AND HAS PED AN ATTEMPT TO KIDNAP HIM AT A WEDDG RECEPTN NOT LONG AGO. BUT HE REMAS UNSHAKEN. “WE HAVE TO FEAT THE NCEPT OF FEAR AND TERROR,” HE SAYS. “EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO LIVE AS THEY PLEASE. NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO DICTATE TO .” HE ADDS: “I WANT TO BE A LEADG VOICE FOR GAY RIGHTS AND PROTECTN.”BUT HE QUICKLY EMPHASIZ THAT HIS PH FOR GAY RIGHTS STOPS SHORT OF MPAIGNG FOR THE LEGALIZATN OF GAY MARRIAGE. “WE DON’T WANT TO PH FOR GAY MARRIAGE, ONLY FOR OUR HUMAN RIGHTS,” HE SAYS. MOST OTHER GAYS STEER CLEAR OF ANY GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT, FEARG RETALIATN. “THE TALIBAN AND OTHER EXTREMISTS WILL TARGET ANY GAY RIGHTS MOVEMENT,” SAYS SHEHZAD. “IT’S TOO DANGERO TO GET VOLVED.” SAMI YOAFZAI

Whilst there have been some reported s of persons arrted for crim agast trans persons, the arrts are generally only ma s of ser crime, such as rape or murr, and not for cinc of harassment or homophobia, which ually go unreported due to fear of famatn or maltreatment by the police (see Legal rights and State attus and treatment). 4 Homophobic and discrimatory attus also negatively affect how the police handle plats by LGBTI persons and vlence perpetrated agast them and several sourc dite that such plats are not always serly vtigated by the police.

2 Given that homophobic attus are prevalent throughout the untry there is unlikely to be any place Pakistan to which a lbian, gay or bisexual person uld reasonably relote whout makg fundamental chang to their behavur. 2 Acrdg to the Internatnal Lbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Associatn (ILGA) World December 2019 report, provisns unr Sectn 377 of the PPC applied to all genrs[footnote 23], though the same report ILGA dited same-sex sexual acts were illegal for men only[footnote 24]. 4 Acrdg to a paper on Sharia and LGBT rights, by Javaid Rehman and Eleni Polymenopoulou of the Bnel Law School, published 2013, ‘Regardg the punishment for homosexualy, there is a nsens among the four leadg Sunni schools of thought and most Islamic scholars that homosexual acts are a major s (fahicha) and may be punishable by ath.

’[footnote 42] The paper by Rehman and Polymenopoulou noted, ‘[F]or Islamic scholars who nsir that the punishment of homosexualy is equivalent to the punishment for za, the ath sentence, provid the evintiary requirements are met, may be also applied…’[footnote 43]. 6 However, the GoP stated s Global AIDS Monorg 2020 progrs report that, ‘Sharia… rri heavy penalti for homosexualy – of imprisonment for 2-10 years or for life, or of 100 lash or stong to ath (pendg on whether the person is married or not). 1 ILGA noted s March 2019 State-Sponsored Homophobia report that ‘Pakistan has been particularly vol at the Human Rights Council and at var UN fora s refal to embrace SOGI wh the spe of the var human rights Treaty Bodi, and s promotn of the “tradnal valu of humankd” rolutns at the Human Rights Council.

ESPE OM KABUL: PART III - LIFE AS A GAY MAN PAKISTAN

While a bare acknowledgment at the societal and ernmental level exists for the historilly regnized khawajasira muny, which all other transgenr inti are then fold through this law, remas to be seen whether the protectns afford by the legislatn will extend to transgenr people who may also intify as lbian, gay, pan or bisexual. Siarly, the WEWA [Women Employe Welfare Associatn] reprentative dited that s which gay men or lbians are murred, the fay often do not report the motive of the crime orr to not dishonour the fay, or claims was an “honour killg” or a suici (31 Dec. Even if s are reported of vlence agast an LGBTQ person, the police are more likely to de [sic] the accer for volvement homosexual acts as the victims feel endangered bee of their sexual orientatn and often do not even report s.

PAKISTANI SOCIETY LOOKS OTHER WAY AS GAY MEN PARTY

This do not mean that they are gay… Walkg hand hand amongst two men is perceived normal certa social enomic class – do not necsarily raise qutns on a person’s sexualy as the [male] South Asian muny n be openly physilly affectnate. For stance, an outwardly gay man or a transgenr woman are nsired promiscuo and viant – if any spicn of their sexual or genr inty be apparent they are easily nied accs to basic servic such as work, hog, jtice, and healthre whout nsequenc. Another example we n nsir is a flamboyant gay man or a mascule queer woman – they will have a more difficult time fdg a safe and secure job environment where they will not be subjected regular harassment by their lleagu.

The Pakistan untry advisor for the IGLHRC [now known as OutRight Actn Internatnal] said that transgenr people are the only ‘visible’ sexual mory Pakistan, while there is ‘a lot of visibily’ among gay men and lbians, who keep their sexual orientatn hidn. 9 An article The Diplomat, an ternatnal current-affairs magaze for the Asia-Pacific regn[footnote 137], dated April 2021, noted regard to attus towards same-sex relatnships, that, ‘Sce Pakistan’s nceptn, regardls of new rearch or unrstandg, every hoehold and stutn has accepted a dichotomo terpretatn of both sexualy and genr and has duced that homosexualy is a s that means natnal and relig terts. 4 In s 2014 report, the IRB ced a BBC News article om 2013 ‘The BBC scribed Karachi as a “btlg wh same-sex activy” terms of men havg sex wh men, however also dited that is difficult for gay men to mata same-sex relatnships, bee “sex between men will be overlooked as long as no-one feels that tradn or relign are beg challenged”.

2 Acrdg to rearch nducted by the IRB and reported 2019 ‘As wh many other issu, the extent of faial and societal discrimatn and vlence faced by lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr and tersex (LGBTI) people tends to be versely proportnal to their soc-enomic stat. 6 The 2019 IRB report noted that, acrdg to an AFP report of October 2018, ‘… although Pakistan has not nvicted sexual mori on the grounds of anti-homosexualy legislatn, the suatn is different wh fai, as [translatn] “hundreds of homicis are mted each year the untry the name of fay “honour”. 10 Dpe pockets of acceptance amongst urban, higher-class muni, DFAT noted that ‘… people g out as gay or lbian Pakistan are likely to face ostracism om their fai, forced heterosexual marriage, discrimatn, bullyg and vlence… even wealthy dividuals face discrimatn, and their fai may force them to a heterosexual marriage to prerve the fay’s reputatn.

'HAPPY AND GAY' PAKISTAN?

2 ILGA noted s 2019 report that ‘Acrdg to Kaleidospe Tst, April 2014, a serial killer nfsed to killg three gay men bee of their sexual orientatn, yet Pakistani media picted the serial killer as “the epome of righteons”. 1 In December 2013, the Print of the Neengar Society told the IRB that social media groups and anised meetgs larger ci such as Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad, existed for LGBT persons; however, this culture exists only among the more socially and tellectually ele class of Pakistan, and there are no openly gay muni the ci[footnote 211]. 4 The USSD human rights report for 2020 noted that ‘The domtic NGO registratn agreement wh the ernment requir NGOs not to e terms the ernment fds ntroversial – such as… lbian, gay, bisexual, transgenr, or tersex (LGBTI) persons – their annual reports or documents.

1 Cg Gay Star News, the ILGA 2019 report noted ‘In September 2018, the Lahore High Court led that public hospals Punjab provce mt provi separate facili for transgenr patients to safeguard their right to privacy and protect them om discrimatn and prejudice. ‘Sourc dite that lbians, bisexuals and gay men are not open about their sexual orientatn at the workplace … Acrdg to the IGLHRC untry advisor, if they e out the open about their sexual orientatn, they would “face problems at work” and “would likely face harassment to nform and might lose their jobs” … The WEWA reprentative siarly said that LGB people hi their inty at work bee would be “hard for them to ntue” their job or they might lose their posn if people at work found out … Acrdg to the Print of the Neengar Society, when their anizatn nducted a workshop on genr sensivy, even though participants were open to havg LGBT iends, 43 of 45 participants said they would not want to work wh an LGBT person their office bee they wanted to prent a “ser and profsnal environment” of their anizatn to the public … He exprsed the opn that this showed that if someone revealed their sexual orientatn or genr inty to their lleagu, would st the person his or her job … The WEWA reprentative said that if LGB people revealed their inty at work, they might also face crimal charg.

‘Sourc dite that if a homosexual uple’s sexual orientatn is known, they will not be able to rent an apartment Lahore, Islamabad or Karachi … Sourc dite that people are even reluctant to rent plac to a sgle man or a sgle woman the ci …, bee they do not want their tenant to brg someone else to the home. The print of the Neengar Society noted that the police Lahore have issued orrs not to rent out apartments to tenants whout a “proper check, ” bee of the “nservative culture” and the “crease terrorism” … Acrdg to the IGLHRC Country Advisor for Pakistan, two men or women might be able to rent a place if they keep their sexual orientatn hidn, as would appear that their motiv were for enomic reasons, but if they me out about their sexual orientatn, “they would fely have problems and lose their place to stay” … He noted that he did not know of any specific s of hog discrimatn, bee gay men and lbians keep their sexual orientatn hidn.

TOM HOLLAND’S GAY SEX SCENE SETS SOCIAL MEDIA ALIGHT AFTER THE ACTOR SAID PLAYG THE ROLE ‘BROKE HIM’

Siarly, the Print of the Neengar Society said that sce people are not open about their sexual orientatn, is unknown how many lbian and gay people face hog issu Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi … He was aware of a se Islamabad, which a male who had unrgone sex reassignment surgery was asked to leave the hoe he rented and fd another place to live, as well as a se om Lahore which a lbian uple uld not fd a place to live bee they “looked like boys” …’[footnote 244]. Sodomy is punishable by up to life jail, and relig lears nmn gay men as an aberratn of wtern Print Pervez Mharraf boasted of empowerg mori, durg a prs nference wh Gee Bh Islamabad 10 days ago, he was unlikely to have been referrg to gay emancipatn. "It is not allowed Islam and is surely agast the laws of nature; is one of the signs of the end of the world, " a ntributor to a BBC Onle bate recently vol gay rights activists wtern untri, many Pakistani gay men feel that the lack of bate sus them.

The Taliban, who are overwhelmgly Pashtun and were born Pakistan's northwt tribal areas near Phawar, have phed walls of bricks on top of gay Mot, now 42, who asked that only her nickname be ed bee of societal stigma, sat recently jeans and a T-shirt the Pakistani cy of Lahore, nfintly talkg about her sexualy, her girliends and her attempts to be wh men. And homosexual relatnships n be found villag across the untry, although they sometim volve force and pedophilia ral a untry where most of the entertag is done people's hom, most gay Pakistanis are terrified of practicg openly or speakg about their sexualy publicly. "Jaluludd Ahmed Khan, 27, who scrib himself as a "psychotic, sarstic and socialist blogger om Karachi, " blogs regularly about the angst and tratn he believ many Pakistani gay men experience, pecially those wh tradnal parents.