Transgender people demand govt to establish separate public toilets

Author: Kashif Hussain

LAHORE: Though the society has started shown some recognition when it comes to the rights of transgender people, many of their issues are yet to be addressed by authorities concerned such as provision of separate public toilets.

In the conservative third-world societies where male chauvinism overshadows rights of other genders, trans people routinely experience taunting and teasing. Pakistan was also one of these societies before the verdict of Supreme Court, directing government to issue national identity cards to transgender people wherein third genders can have male transgender, female transgender or “Khunsa-e-mushkil” written on their ID card as per their own will.

However, members of transgender community have railed against the government for not providing them jobs, forcing them to meet their demands by begging in big cities. They said that even after their recognition as third gender in the CNICs, society was still reluctant to given them due respect.

Talking to Daily Times, some of them uncovered harrowing details of their maltreatment, especially at public places and inside areas of public or private toilets, as if they use ladies’ washrooms, women start panicking, and men harass them if they try to use gents’ washrooms.

In their message to the general public and the government on the advent of 2017, Almas Boby, Neeli Rana and Madam Bota – prominent representatives of transgender community – and others working with different human rights and gender rights organizations have said, “Happy New Year to everyone but tell us where we got to use public washrooms.”

Demanding establishment of separate public toilets in every city, members of transgender community have said that they would start a campaign this year for their due right to use bathrooms with ease.

They also urged the government to construct separate washrooms for third gender at roadsides, in motels and hotels, especially on the motorway. They said that the government should create jobs in government offices for them if it was sincere to make an end to their adversaries.

“As the Lahore High Court had ordered the government to provide facilities to physically handicapped citizens at public offices and places like ramps and washrooms, we could also be given the facility of using separate public washrooms.”