Jags' Maxen is first male Amerin pro sports ach to e out as gay - ESPN

Contents:

• THERE IS PLENTY OF GAY SEX KARACHI, PAKISTAN
• “BEG GAY PAKISTAN, WHAT A MISERABLE AND HARD LIFE!”
• GAY PAKISTAN - A COMPLEX SOCIETY
• 'HAPPY AND GAY' PAKISTAN?
• HOW GAY IS PAKISTAN?
• 'HIGH SCHOOL MIL' TEASER NFIRMS LUS GRABEEL'S RYAN EVANS IS GAY WH SAME-SEX KISS
• JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY
• 5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)
• 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
• PAKISTAN'S FIRST GAY PRI CELEBRATN SPARKS ONLE BATE
• TYLER CHILRS RELEAS BTERSWEET MIC VIO FEATURG GAY LOVE STORY, STARRG COLTON HAYN

THERE IS PLENTY OF GAY SEX KARACHI, PAKISTAN

Nowadays, the availabily of smartphon and certa applitns have ma possible to fd members of the same muny om distanc and plac not possible [*], a 33-year-old man, intifi as gay but is married to a woman. No matter our past divi, jt felt so good talkg to someone who got to experience life there after 2018, ” said Farooq, referrg to the date when India’s Supreme Court stck down a ban on gay sex.

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.

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

“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.

A Pew Rearch Center reported that 90 percent of Pakistan’s populatn believed homosexualy is morally wrong, while only 1 percent said is morally acceptable.

GAY PAKISTAN - A COMPLEX SOCIETY

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. “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.

However, no news outlet or hoehold saw the legalizatn of gay relatnships as somethg to discs amongst one another or wh their children. 25-year-old Omar, an archect om Islamabad, talked about how he broke away om straight iends who through subtle ments ntued to make him feel guilty, shameful, and somehow rponsible for his homosexualy.

'HAPPY AND GAY' PAKISTAN?

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.

“Even if the law changed, which never will, tst me, the people are so brawashed to perceive the word ‘homo’ as the worst [of the ss] that they will burn you and then be reward for by hundreds of lns. He shared some of the abive experienc he has had at the hands of olr men over the past few years and how he is unable to report them jt bee of beg gay himself: “He threatened me sayg he’ll tell my father I was gay.

HOW GAY IS PAKISTAN?

Mahnoor, a 23-year-old woman, said, “I told my sister I am gay, and she jt lled me kafir [a sner] and gave me ath threats for posg on social media.

And they do not want to accept the gays simply bee this untry’s reliance on the so-lled fay stutn is the only thg left boostg the egos of straight men.

'HIGH SCHOOL MIL' TEASER NFIRMS LUS GRABEEL'S RYAN EVANS IS GAY WH SAME-SEX KISS

However, he is somewhat volved the muny, has close gay iends, is sexually active, and advot for safe-sex practic wh his circl — all of which he do away om the public eye. 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.

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. Gay rights don't exist there, beg openly gay is still looked down upon, gay relatnships are hard to e by, and Karachi pretty much fails on every metric of gay life except for one: man-on-man sex. Karachi is home to a lot of any other untry the world (spe Iran's claims to the ntrary), Pakistan has a homosexual populatn.

JAGS' MAXEN IS FIRST MALE AMERIN PRO SPORTS ACH TO E OUT AS GAY

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.

He's right: a simple search on Scff, a gay datg mobile app turned up plenty of men (whose fac we've obscured) Karachi lookg to nnect:But isn't all technologil cisg, eher. At the end of all, everyone gets married to a member of the oppose sex and nothg is spoken about, " a lol told gay relatnships bee an anomaly. 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.

5 SAFT PLAC FOR GAY TRAVELERS IN 2019 (AND THE MOST DANGERO)

All the major sects of Islam have pletely forbidn homosexualy but the existence of an homosexual populatn nnot be nied Pakistani society. Haseeb Rathore is a young gay man om Lahore, Pakistan who “regnized himself” and felt different om others at a very young age, but was not allowed to exprs his feelgs. This is when Il Gran Colibri learned about Haseeb’s story and took the opportuny to terview him about his inty as a gay Mlim om Pakistan.

In some s, they are stuck a suatn they nnot ignore where they n’t get away gay men are lled: “gandoo” [a person who lik to be fucked, Urdu and Punjabi; Ed. I obvly know to keep my sexualy hidn when travellg, but I still prefer to avoid the lotns where I uld potentially be killed for beg gay. I’ve read that laws agast homosexualy aren’t typilly enforced, so if I go and try to hi my sexualy as much as possible, will I be okay?

Three native Pakistani men wre about livg si their sexually ambivalent culture where gay men live behd masks and love secret. There is a gay subculture Pakistan but is virtually visible and exists only by word of mouth and furtive suatns– nighttime parks, discrete parti and one’s imagatn or memory.

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

It was all right then yet today when I am a grown up, handsome man wh a gree and a lot of exposure to different cultur why beg gay is nsired almost a curse?

Fet about gay bars, diss and entire gay cisg districts (there are none this untry) I have enough problems tryg not to drown the flood of social, cultural, relig taboos.

PAKISTAN'S FIRST GAY PRI CELEBRATN SPARKS ONLE BATE

Even on lol ter chats men balk once they realize they are chattg to another male and quickly close the wdow wh, “I’m male and not gay. I still strictly believed the relign but by that time I was sure that I was gay, even though I uld not exprs this to anyone. As an example of the entrenched homophobia, I have a iend who recently had to break up wh his boyiend bee his mother disvered the relatnship.

You n’t talk about relign and homosexualy, you should not feel proud of your sexual orientatn, you mt rema reful when you are at public plac and so on. LAHORE, Pakistan, June 1, 2009 — -- It wasn't until she was 16 years old, when she'd left her Pashtun fay Phawar for an ele school where the teachers were nuns, that Mot realized she was gay.

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. "Pakistan's relig laws punish homosexualy wh stong, but gay members of the ele are to be found Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad. 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.

TYLER CHILRS RELEAS BTERSWEET MIC VIO FEATURG GAY LOVE STORY, STARRG COLTON HAYN

Divorce is extremely rare and looked down upon by everyone except the so many gay women get married, sometim to gay such uple, scribed by one of their iends, is a "happy relatnship. When this reporter ntacted a different woman he had been told was gay and livg openly wh her gay hband, she bristled and objected to the ll.

"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. "Clash Between Conservativ and LiberalsIn May, 2005 a gay uple ught havg sex the tribal belt along the Afghan borr were publicly lashed.

"That may be a b overstated but the past few years, Mot said, Pakistanis have changed their opns about gay men and women, pecially Lahore, where she has lived for the past 20 years. It's not acceptable at all, " she Lahore a few years ago, she said, she and her girliend were "the first uple who actually me out and went open as a gay uple. Cast & crewUser reviewsTV Movie2015Not Rated50mIn Pakistan the punishment for beg gay is up to ten years prison or the ath penalty.