In recent years, Pakistan’s has been engulfed in the dilemma of accepting the transgender community, who has sought immense exposure through the media, helping in raising awareness about their conditions. However, people are still not able to comprehend the actual reality of the negative impact that the society has had on them. Lately, I was provided with the opportunity to interact with a few members of the transgender community in Lahore and to look through their lens how they perceive the society.
I decided to extend my support for the societal integration and mainstreaming of the marginalised transgender community by meeting them in the inner city of Lahore to hear their stories and share their grief. There is an estimated 500,000 transgender living in Pakistan. However, their ‘Guru’, who is considered as their guardian, claims that it’s impossible to calculate how many of them reside in the city, as this community is widespread in small groups throughout Lahore.
Through the research carried out by conducting interviews, I was able to decipher and get an insight of their lives and how it is affected by the open discernment they face every now and then along with the unreasonable behaviour of the ones around them, inevitably leading to serious challenges being faced. To see their plight was devastating, hence here I am questioning if it is fair? Is it rational? Is it justified? By understanding and delving deep into the lives of this ostracised transgender community, it occurred to me that if only we stand up for their basic rights, is when truly a difference will be made.
Due to the stereotypes plaguing our society, the transgender community is not only viewed as a disgrace to the family’s honour, but are discriminated at large. Consequently, a sense of betrayal, loss of trust, lack of compassion and refusal to accept has enveloped them since childhood. In search of freedom, they run away and build their own small community and devote their time to strengthen their ties between members of their new family.
As ironic as it may sound, many of them have ample academic achievements showcased by their resilience and determination to succeed, yet they are not able to find jobs for sufficient time simply because they do not satisfy the criteria of ‘fitting in’, therefore resort to begging and adopting unlawful practices to make ends meet.
Being rejected, feeling unwanted, considered as a burden is what this community truly composites to. We need to come together, work with various organisations such as Athwart, and turn to the government in order to lessen their struggle by taking legal action against the offenders, since it’s time to acknowledge their presence as an integral part of our society. Even though in 2012, the government recognised the transgender community and passed a legal notice for them to receive equal rights in various fields of employment and education, along with being compensated fairly in family inheritance issues, its implementation lacks imperative.
No community should be categorised, after all they are human too and we righteously adorn and advocate humanity. The initiation towards change will come from within us and we need to take that step to understand the atrocities and empathise with this overlooked group of individuals.