A private news channel has made history. By being the first media outlet to hire a transgender anchor. We, here at Daily Times, applaud the move.
Not least because Kohenoor News is a small station albeit national station. Meaning that it had more to lose in terms of possible backlash in terms of lost advertising revenue. For any withholding of dues could potentially have impacted it to a far greater extent than, say, the largest channel in the country. And given how the government has rightly patted itself on the back for having introduced protective laws to safeguard transgender rights — such as The Criminal Law (Amendment) (Protection of Rights of Transgender Persons) Act 2017 — it may or may not have dropped the ball somewhat by not directing the national broadcaster to take the lead on this front.
Another reason that Kohenoor News deserves the support of the fourth estate as a whole is because it transmits in Urdu. This is an important point given how the English language media here in Pakistan has for too long gone out of its way to have everyone and his cat believe that it enjoys a monopoly on what often passes for ‘liberal’ journalism.
Had this been another country or another time — it would have been hoped that Marvia Malik would just have been able to get the show on the road without becoming part of the news herself. But this is now and this is Pakistan. And she is a pioneer; trailblazing the way for others to follow in her wake. Thus, on an individual level, she deserves to be celebrated.
That being said, it is similarly hoped that public and media attention towards Ms Malik does not give way to casual tokenism; or worse, outright fetishising. Though Pakistan is an inherently patriarchal society and, as such, is rather at ease with itself when it comes to small acts of measured benevolence towards women; provided that this does not rattle the status quo. Quite possibly the litmus test will come when steps are taken to ‘mainstream’ trans men in the public sphere.
Yet until then, well done all round. *
Published in Daily Times, March 25th 2018.