Running head: PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 1

PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN

PAKISTAN

Group members:

Rohma Nasim

Mahnoor Quddus

Maheen Majid Alvi

Seemal Arif Paracha

Ayesha Hassan

Name of institution: Lahore School of Economics

Instructor: Ifra Javed

PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 2

Acknowledgments

First and foremost, we would like to thank God Almighty who bestowed us the strength to

complete this research study. We are indebted to God for giving us a cooperative instructor and

helpful team members.

This research was supported by Miss Ifra Javed and the Lahore School of Economics. We thank

our instructor, Miss Ifra Javed, for supporting and guiding us throughout the whole research and

providing us with the necessary insight for this research paper.

We would like to extend our gratitude towards our group members: Rohma Nasim, Maheen

Majid Alvi, Seemal Arif Paracha, Ayesha Hassan, and Mahnoor Quddus who showed their full

cooperation throughout our research study, and with their combined effort this research paper

was completed.

Moreover, we are extremely grateful to the Gender Guardian School students who voluntarily

took part in our interviews which were conducted for our research paper. We are honored that we

got to listen to your experiences and learned from them. Furthermore, we are thankful to the

administration of the Gender Guardian School who made it possible for us to conduct the

interviews.
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 3

Table of Contents
Abstract............................................................................................................................................4

Introduction......................................................................................................................................5

Literature Review............................................................................................................................8

Research Questions........................................................................................................................14

Methodology..................................................................................................................................14

Results/Findings............................................................................................................................16

Analysis.........................................................................................................................................18

Discussion......................................................................................................................................21

Limitations.....................................................................................................................................22

Conclusion.....................................................................................................................................23

Bibliography..................................................................................................................................24
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 4

Abstract
Transphobia all over Pakistan is increasing at an alarming rate despite the efforts of government

and non-government organizations to subdue it. Transphobia is a phenomenon comprising

various negative feelings or actions towards the transgender community. As a part of our

diagnostic research design, we aim to find the rising trend of transphobia in urban areas of

Lahore. The diagnostic research design was used to study and find details about transphobia in-

depth and to find the underlying causes of this phenomenon. The researchers of this study chose

to evaluate the direct experiences of transgenders who faced discrimination, prejudice, and

stigma due to the sole basis of transphobia. Furthermore, students of the age group 18 to 25

completed a survey about their intake on transphobia. Transphobia has rapidly increased

according to the research and many transgender people are victims of it. Furthermore, it was

discovered that students aged 18 to 25 lacked sufficient knowledge of the word transphobia and

its ramifications for the transgender community.

PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 5

Introduction

Transphobia is having baseless, unreasonable fear toward the transgender community or

discrimination and prejudice against transgender individuals. Creating a hurdle for the

transgender community to receive the same opportunities compared to those who have binary

gender. Many parents, even teachers in Pakistan sometimes teach their kids or students not to

engage in a conversation with any transgender, creating an irrational fear of transgenders in their

young minds, which is then carried forward creating a perpetual cycle of never-ending hate

against the transgender community ultimately increasing transphobia.

After extensive research, it is evident that transphobia is an issue in urban areas of Lahore and is

a problem in other cities of Pakistan. Keeping in mind the vastness of this problem, a positive

attempt has to be made to decrease transphobia by spreading awareness about it and keeping an

open mind about this marginalized community. Transphobia is a major issue in the urban areas

of Lahore despite the constant effort to diminish it which is why it is still on the rise.

There have been active attempts made by the government of Pakistan and non-government

organizations to decrease transphobia but to no avail. Even though the laws have been passed to

resolve this issue there is a lag in the implementation of laws. It is impossible to overlook the

accumulation of this biased behavior over so many years and generations. This is a topic that

requires a lot of attention so it should not be overlooked.

Previous studies conducted on transphobia showed an escalation of this phenomenon and how

society was one of the reasons why this phenomenon was still on the rise. Many previous

research studies overlooked the perspective of younger generations, which we have included in

our research study to raise awareness of the stigma toward transgender people. Substantial
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 6

research allowed us to discover multiple factors which have heightened transphobia as it has

progressed much more over the last few years.

In the western world, the term transgender refers to those who identify aside from their gender at

birth. However, the word "Transgender" in Pakistan is often accustomed to intersex persons,

individuals born with reproductive or sexual anatomy that does not fit the binary categories, male

or female. Many individuals, turn a blind eye toward the intersex community and pay no

attention to the terminology. Pakistan is distinctive towards the treatment of transgender

individuals most often referred to as “Khawaja Saras” and is also referred to as a racial slur

known as “Khusras”. (Anwar, 2017)

In the Indo-Pak Sub-Continent, hijras are a unique and closely-knit group (Ali, July 2003; Zafar,

Sep 2004).” Hijra” is an umbrella term used for those men and women who are transgender and

eunuch. Even though they are a disenfranchised people, there is virtually little information about

Khawaja Saras documented in Pakistan. One of the main reasons behind this is the rapidly

increasing transphobia, ignorance, and hatred towards this community. Individuals who are born

with a sexual deformity (hermaphrodite or intersexed) are known as Khawaja Sera (a genuine

Hijra) as this is the identity that hijras strongly portray. (Nanda, as cited in Sharma, 2000; Ali,

July 2003; Riaz, 1996)

Khawaja Sara and hijra are people who are born intersex but wish to grow up with the souls of

either a woman or a male. Throughout the world, they are known as transgender, transwoman, or

trans people. Khawaja Sara and hijra, the third gender, have a long and illustrious history.

Around 4000 years ago, the old book “Kama Sutra” discussed and mentioned people apart from

males and females. This Sanskrit sexual manual has ample evidence of sexual matters and

practices with individuals aside from males and females, showing the existence of the third
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 7

gender in the past. Inside the precolonial Mughal dynasty and before British Colonialism within

the subcontinent, this deep-rooted and well-established history shaped the unique identities of

Khawaja Saras and hijras.

During the 13th and 18th centuries, in the Mughal palaces, Khawaja Saras and hijras were the

most trusted people. They were responsible for protecting the Harems (a sacred place of living),

employed as administrators of the military, and were responsible for Mughal treasures owing to

their trustworthiness and cleverness. Khawaja Saras also oversaw many significant positions as

political advisors, courtly affairs, and administrators. The Mughal palaces were unreasonable

without the Harems, and therefore the Harems were inconceivable without the Eunuchs (the term

used for Khawaja Sara and Hijra in colonial text). Researchers distinguished between the role of

Khawaja Sara and Hijra. Khawaja Saras was the male-identified intelligent people who were

assigned the military and diplomatic roles despite their slave status while Hijras were more often

busy dancing and singing. The formers have considerably higher social standing than the Hijras

within the Mughal periods.

When the British defeated the Mughal monarchy after the Indian revolt in 1857, it brought untold

cultural, socio-economic, legal, and political changes to the subcontinent. The British took much

of the previous Mughals' splendor during this time and Khawaja Saras, who were once revered

with utmost reverence, were now treated with contempt and tossed away since the British made

no room for the third gender and focused solely on two binary genders.

Khawaja Saras was recognized as an offender in colonial British and were declared as an

individual with the disease. In 1871, The British implemented a law (CTA) Criminal Tribes Act

to further oppress Khawaja Saras because it targeted their behavior specifically Hijras because of

their dancing and singing which by this law was seen as vulgar and obscene. This act restricted
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 8

their livelihood and this law allowed surveillance of Khawaja Saras so they could be arrested

without any warrant. Several other legislations were also passed to control the community of

Khawaja Saras and Hijras. One of the laws passed was Act No. XI of 1852 which prevented any

gifts in the city of Bombay. Provision 2 of rule 2 of Schedule B indicated, “there be nothing in

the conditions of the tenure which cannot be observed without a breach of the laws of the land or

the rules of public decency” it was specifically for the Hijras and Khawaja Saras as it would

make them destitute, and the majority of their properties were seized by British.

Moreover, their once immaculate reputation was ruined by the British as they portrayed them as

skilled offenders who were deft in taking advantage of minors and kidnapping young children.

Additionally, they were depicted as homosexuals and were framed for contaminating and

tainting open spaces due to their indecent performances which were their means of income.

As a result, in pre-modern Pakistan, transgender people lived in poverty and were forced to

engage in begging and sex slavery, which was one of the long-term consequences of British

legislation affecting the transgender community.

Our goals in this research paper are to highlight the difficulties faced by the transgender

community as a result of rising transphobia, as well as to determine how much today's generation

(youth) is aware of transphobia and their perspective about it.

Literature Review
A social construct term known as Transphobia was specifically introduced to describe those

people who hold hatred towards intersex individuals additionally, those who discriminate and

have a negative perception towards transgenders. Throughout the years, many distinct types of
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 9

research have been carried out to study the extent of transphobia and how that has affected

transgenders on a day-to-day basis.

One of the research projects that was completed was a comparative analysis of the constitutional

rights granted to the transgender community in Pakistan and the efforts made by the Pakistani

government to improve opportunities for transgender people in terms of health, safety, education,

and property rights which are still not being followed properly. The author sheds light on

existing and proposed laws and how they are not being adequately implemented. The author, on

the other hand, fails to address what steps could be taken to avoid prejudice, what can be done to

ameliorate it, and how it functions as a barrier to majority of the transgender people’s

possibilities.

Our transphobia issue illustrates how despite laws being passed and adopted, they are never fully

executed, which encourages transphobia. Our community's lives are so entwined in this issue that

hatred has grown through time, teaching our youth to do the same, making it extremely difficult

to break the cycle of everlasting discrimination.

In addition, a study was conducted in "A Phenomenological Study to Understand the Religious

Belief and Socio-Cultural Practices of Transgender" to acknowledge the religious beliefs and

socio-cultural practices of transgenders regarding the opportunities they receive in light of the

government's recent actions for them in urban Lahore. It highlights religious and cultural

features, as well as how they are "different" from a "regular person" in Lahore. It also discusses

multiple incidents that have occurred across the city. Being transgender, no one would deliver

their Namaz-e-Janaza (funeral prayer). Considering Muslims make up the majority of Lahore's

population, this research examines the issue from an Islamic viewpoint, citing many Quranic

passages. The Quran declares that transgender individuals are physically and psychologically
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 10

capable, implying that they should not be discriminated against and should be treated equally in

society.

It has been observed over a while, that the spread of transphobia is so vast in Lahore and is

extremely perilous in the city, leading to some transgenders being scarred mentally and

experiencing abuse to such an eminent level that many think of killing themselves because of the

torture, that eventually becomes unbearable. A study took place where the participants who were

transgenders responded that “it was no way to live a life and it was much better to die”. Further

noting the fact, that they were not disgusted with who they were but rather the circumstances in

which they were forced to live which led them to beg and involve themselves in wrong acts. This

diminished their self-worth and as very few of them received proper education, they did not have

the means to sustain and earn for themselves as society shunned and cast them aside.

Religious beliefs provide a new perspective and mention that in the Quran it is seen that the

majority of Muslims living in Lahore form their own opinions rather than studying the Quran by

themselves. It has been stated clearly in the Holy Quran that transgenders deserve to have their

fundamental rights and should receive the respect they rightfully deserve, instead of being

abhorred by the individuals living in Lahore.

Another study, "Challenges faced by marginalized communities such as transgender in Pakistan,"

examines how difficult it is for transgender people to survive in Pakistan, particularly when they

are stigmatized and excluded. The dangers of being a transgender person are numerous,

particularly in Islamabad, Pakistan's capital, and Rawalpindi, where a study revealed that people

have limited knowledge of transgenders and are only taught of two main genders, male and

female, completely disregarding transgenders as if they do not exist or have a right to exist,

forming a barrier between communities. Therefore, transphobia can lead to transgenders going
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 11

through psychological problems as they do not have access to most necessities which makes it

difficult for them to live as a part of our society.

An article published in 2013 talks about the story of Zeba, a transgender rights activist who was

openly harassed by the police and her local neighborhood all because Zeba was a transgender

which is why Zeba faced discrimination. Zeba also mentioned that the society did not consider

them as “Muslims” as they are a “third gender” which is completely wrong especially when

being born as a transgender without your own will has no relation to the religion of an individual.

Transgender attacks have also become quite common in the province of KPK. The article talks

about several incidents which occurred in previous years, mentioning that in 2009 the Pakistan

Supreme Court called upon all provincial governments to recognize the rights of transgender

people. Moreover, KPK allotted 200 million rupees to support the transgender community

however despite the positive attitude of other provinces the cases of discrimination remained

unaffected.

Issues in the transgender community have been highlighted when they experience discrimination

and do not receive the job opportunities they deserve as our society believes that a transgender

hurts the workplace. In Pakistan and other areas of the world when a child is born transgender,

the child’s family disowns the infant. Regarding this whole issue the government has not created

practical policies as for them transphobia is not a problem that is as severe as other issues in the

country. To get further information regarding the issues transgenders to go through, many were

interviewed and received 200 rupees for each interview for having the courage to talk about what

they go through regularly. A similar study took place in five districts of KPK which were Dera

Ismail Khan, Peshawar, Bannu, Hazara, and Kohat hopefully to increase awareness in our
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 12

community so that they change their mindset and realize that transgenders are also “human” like

them.

Transgender women are increasingly being attacked for reportedly declining sexual favors. They

are stabbed in their own houses when they speak up for themselves or raise a voice for their

community in a society that does not support them. Transgender people actively support the

legislation, but many are concerned that it would not eliminate decades of shame and prejudice.

This article has discussed both sides of the argument that transphobia occurs, but those steps

have been taken to reduce transgender prejudice. The article goes on to say that initiatives are

being taken to assist transgender individuals, such as how people are now protecting transgender

people by providing them with shelter homes, which has been beneficial.

Discrimination against transgender people begins with their families, who expelled them from

their homes because they are "different" and do not conform to society's gender norms. The

Guru-Chela system, which exists within the transgender community, takes these destitute and

outcast transgenders into the shelter. The transgenders referred to as "Hijras" respond to a head

figure known as a Guru and earn a living as beggars, sex workers, and wedding dancers. In

exchange for providing them with lodging and a connection to their community, the Guru

receives a percentage of their earnings as a commission.

Furthermore, there are various misconceptions concerning transgender people in Pakistani

society. Transphobia is the result of these misconceptions. Transphobia makes it difficult for

members of society particularly young people, to approach transgender people and exacerbates

their interactions with them. This results in a widening separation between society and the

transgender population, which is becoming increasingly difficult to close. With time, the divide

becomes a source of stigmatization of transgender people as outcasts who are unable to fit into
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 13

society's larger fabric. As a result, this disadvantaged community's marginalization drives them

out to navigate within the shadows of society.

An article published in 2022 by the director of Bolo Bhi (advocacy forum for digital rights)

discussed how the government should not tolerate transphobic sentiments. Inquiries, as well as

statements from activists, should be made to the National Commission on Human Rights,

particularly in areas like KPK, where the murder of transgender people is at an all-time high,

with an estimated 70 transwomen killed in the last few years. Furthermore, campaigners for the

transgender community urged that members of their group be given special seats in legislative

bodies so that they can speak up for themselves and can voice their concerns.

Since it frequently portrays only two binary genders, the media plays a significant role in

constructing a barrier between society and the transgender population. Transgender people are

rarely mentioned in the media. Television and social media networks are key sources of

information that can reform the brains of the younger generation, resulting in a more positive

outlook for future generations. Two Pakistani national television plays come to mind: "Alif Allah

Aur Insaan" and "Khuda Mera Bhi hai." These plays made a significant contribution by re-

creating the image of transgender people.

Additionally, consultations, interviews, and multiple types of research were performed alongside

trans and cisgender communities. 99 articles were also written that covered various aspects of

discrimination, and transphobia for researchers to fully understand the concept of transphobia.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is collaborating with Pakistan to promote

the 2030 Agenda for Development's 'Leave Nobody Behind,' which is an initiative aimed at

addressing the core causes of inequality, discrimination, and exclusion in communities around
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 14

the world. This project has resulted in the successful formulation of the Transgender Persons

Act, which was passed by the Pakistani parliament in 2018 to legally create equality in society

and defend transgender rights.

As a result, all of the publications and research studies examined feature the same existing issues

of discrimination as the primary cause of transphobia, which is a topic of our research.

Furthermore, individuals have the same bad connotation about transgenders that they find

impossible to escape from, despite the Pakistani government's ongoing efforts through legislative

regulations moreover, the media does not help to ameliorate the issue. Additionally, many study

publications focus on the causes of transphobia rather than how to improve awareness or change

young people's negative attitudes about transgender people.

(Ramay, 2019)Research Questions

I. Has transphobia increased in the past few years?

II. Did the government play its part in protecting the transgender community?

III. How has transphobia affected transgenders?

Methodology
The underlying reasons for transphobia, the youth's perspective on transphobia, how much are

they aware of it, and how much transphobia impacts the lives of transgender people were all

investigated in this research study. This research was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan. This place

was chosen since it is one of the most inhabited cities in Lahore, with a large population of

transgender people. It was also chosen because due to convenience. We conducted a diagnostic
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 15

research study based on the hypothesis that transphobia is still on the rise in Lahore's

metropolitan areas.

While collecting primary and secondary data, we adopted the following assumptions:

Transphobia is on the rise in Lahore's urban areas, today's youth are unaware of rising

transphobia, and the transgender population suffers greatly as a result of transphobia. The factors

we measured were whether transphobia has increased or not, and if today's adolescents are aware

of transphobia, and how it affects the lives of the marginalized transgender population.

Firstly, to find out how much transgenders were affected by transphobia we conducted semi-

structured interviews of five transgenders from Gender Guardian School. To reduce the social

desirability bias, we added some filler questions. Semi-structured participants can express

themselves exactly rather than being constrained by predefined choices, and significant but

unique comments are less likely to be disregarded due to averaging, therefore interviews were

undertaken to gather qualitative data. Qualitative data collection is often subjective, findings may

be erroneous because data recording or interpretation may be influenced by the researcher's point

of view and detailed data from one or a few individuals may not be generalizable to the majority.

Opportunity sampling was done because the participants were easily available, opportunity

sampling is faster and easier as compared to other methods. The disadvantage of opportunity

sampling is that it is likely to be non-representative because the number of people available is

likely to be limited, resulting in a sample that is skewed.

All ethical guidelines were followed thoroughly and properly based on the British Psychological

Society Code of Ethics and Conduct (2009). All the transgenders gave their consent to be

interviewed and for their interview to be recorded. Their privacy was respected and they were

given protection as they were not exposed to any greater or psychological risk than they would
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 16

expect in their day-to-day life. Transgenders before the interview were told that they could

withdraw at any time during the interview if they felt uncomfortable. All the data that was

collected (their names, contact information) would not be published to maintain their right to

confidentiality. At the end of the interview all transgenders that participated in our interview

were debriefed and were given the chance to ask any questions or if they had a message to send

to the Pakistani youth regarding transphobia.

To collect quantitative data a survey was conducted to see the youth’s perspective and outlook

on transphobia. The survey was emailed to students between the ages of 18 to 25. Objective

measures, scales, and questions were frequently used in quantitative data analysis. Its flaw is that

the data collection method frequently limits answers which make the data less reliable.

Results/Findings
From the Gender Guardian School in Lahore, 5 transgenders were interviewed (semi-structured

interviews) about how their daily lives are affected by transphobia. The transgenders were asked

questions about their interests, the courses they were taking (filler questions), they were asked

about the maltreatment they faced by binary genders, and the difficulties they face accessing

education, healthcare facilities, or when applying for a job. They were also asked if they were

supported by their families and in the end if they would like to give a message. The first

interviewee said that whenever they went out, people would stare at them and ridicule them often

cussing at them or throwing spit on the ground to show disrespect. The second interviewee stated

that they were doing a beautician course at the Gender Guardian School and they had no support

from their family but owned a beauty parlor as a source of income. They also said that even if

they grew a beard people would always make fun of them. The third interviewee disclosed that

they were often sexually molested and when people would give them “dirty stares” they would
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 17

not respond to that as for them it would lead to arguments that they wanted to avoid. Whenever

they went to apply for a job the employers would not hire them instead, they were chased out of

the establishments because employers already had a prejudice against them and employers feared

that seeing a transgender working will drive the customers away. The fourth interviewee

revealed that they had a degree in B. Com from the University of Punjab where they had to face

several trials and tribulations as so many peers at the university were not ready to befriend them

due to them being a transgender and they often faced loneliness which hurt their feelings

immensely. The last interviewee said that they would always go in public wearing headphones to

ignore the harsh sayings of people and how it was very difficult for them to find their dream

jobs. In the end, they all said that the government was not making an active effort to improve

their situation at hand and they were not positive people would ever change their behavior

towards them. These were the qualitative findings.

For the quantitative findings, a survey was conducted between the ages of 18 to 25 to find the

youth’s perspective on transphobia.72 responses were recorded.13 responses were recorded from

the age group of 18 which was 18.1%, 19 responses were recorded from the age group of 19

which was around 26.4%,27 responses were recorded from the age group of 20 which was about

37.5%, 3 responses were recorded from the age group of 21 which was 4.2%, from the age group

of 22 only 1 response was recorded which was 1.4%, from the age group of 23, 24 and 25 three

responses were recorded respectively with each age group to be 4.2%.

66.7% (48 individuals) were aware of the term transphobia, 13.9% (10 individuals) were unsure

whether they knew the term or did not, and 19.4% (14 individuals) were not aware of the term

transphobia. 66.7% believed that transphobia has increased in Pakistan, 22.2% were unsure

whether transphobia has increased or not, and 11.1% said that transphobia has not increased in
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 18

Pakistan. 63.9% were aware that Gender Guardian School for transgenders has been operating in

Lahore for the welfare of the transgender community and 27.8% were not aware of it. Around

36.1% were aware that the Transgender Persons Act was finally passed by the parliament of

Pakistan in 2018 while 54.2% were not aware of this.

On a scale of 1 to 6, these questions were asked, around 33.3% (on a scale of 6) were extremely

likely to hold a voluntary conversation with a transgender and, 31.9% (on a scale of 5) were

willing to hold a conversation.68.1% (on a scale of 6) agreed that it was significant to increase

awareness regarding the increasing trend on transphobia. (On a scale of 4) 27.8% likely agreed

that the way they were brought up played a part in having misconceptions regarding the

transgender community and 12.5% (on a scale of 6) said it was extremely likely. (On a scale of

3) 33.3% stated that the efforts made by the Pakistani government and NGOs to work for the

betterment of the transgender community thought were not enough.

68.1% strongly agreed that transgenders faced discrimination due to them not belonging to a

binary gender and 29.2% agreed.44.4% strongly agreed and agreed that the transgender

community has been under-represented by media. 83.3% strongly agreed that transgenders

deserve the same respect, opportunities, safety, and security as received by binary genders.

Analysis
Individuals are not aware of the term “transphobia” which is shown through the results of our

survey. More than 50% out of a total of 72 individuals do not know the definition of this term

which shows the lack of awareness in our community. By defining this term individuals found it

easier to answer the next questions. That is evident especially when 66.7% of the participants

answered that transphobia has increased and that is due to the environment in which the people
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 19

in our society are brought up. Every day we experience incidents where either we show a

negative attitude towards the transgender community or we have witnessed someone treating

them poorly.

Many are unaware that a Gender Guardian School has been opened for their community which is

one of the few schools teaching them skills that they can apply in the future. However, almost

half of the participants were aware that a Transgender Persons Act was passed which shows that

some are aware of the changes being made to improve our society and the efforts the Pakistani

government has made to protect their rights. Despite this fact, survey results show that almost

50% of individuals are unwilling to have a conversation with a transgender which is

heartbreaking as fear still exists even though transgenders are normal human beings and it is not

their fault that they were born this way.

Spreading more awareness regarding this issue is significant to improving the lifestyle of

transgender individuals who experience so much discrimination in the Pakistani community. In

addition, participants were mostly neutral that the way they were raised by their families was not

what changed their perspective towards transgenders and that their parents did not create a

negative image of the transgender community and that is a positive sign. The efforts made by the

NGOs and our government, however, are not making a huge difference in bringing a positive

change in the way our society treats their community.

The ultimate reason why transgenders go through so much struggle is that they are not

considered a part of the community which is of the binary gender and people are aware of this

fact, especially when more than half of the individuals answering our questionnaire strongly

agreed to it. Due to this reason, they face abuse both verbally and physically, on a day-to-day

basis which is unavoidable especially when only a few stand up for their rights and speak up for
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 20

them with approximately 80% agreeing that the rate of abuse has risen over the years due to the

cases that appear on social media platforms.

Media despite broadcasting stories and talking about the positive changes being bought in our

community to provide Khawaja Saras with the same opportunities as those who are of the binary

gender are still under-represented as great progress has yet to be observed in our society and its

mindset. They rightfully deserve the same respect, opportunities, safety, and security as the other

individuals which is only possible by giving people knowledge through social media.

Creating more NGOs and schools like the Gender Guardian School that can cater to the

transgender community would allow them to learn new skills that they can implement in their

future. One of the transgenders that was interviewed talked about how learning the beautician

course at this school allowed them to start their salon and another transgender used their tailoring

skills to stitch and sell clothes which made them financially independent. Teaching children from

a young age that transgenders are normal human beings like us could ultimately change the next

generation and hopefully, reduce transphobia. Students should learn that just like there are

people who have different skin color or belong to various castes, religions, or social

backgrounds, transgenders are also a part of our community. Moreover, peaceful protesting is

another way that could potentially force the government to create better policies that act as a

safeguard for the transgender community and if they have created laws then these protests would

urge the government to implement them.

The semi-structured interviews and the way each transgender answered the questions allowed us

to realize that they were still being treated poorly and a few faced issues while seeking medical

help at the hospital. This clearly shows how people still discriminate against them and verbally

abuse them which is all due to the lack of effective government policies and laws. Some
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 21

transgenders faced prejudice within their household because their parents created a divide

between their children and treated their other children differently than them or provided them

with no support. This situation forced them to open their parlor or clothing store so that they

could earn for themselves. Furthermore, other than receiving no help from their families some

salon owners told the transgender students that they could not work at their workplace because it

would “damage” the work environment which is why they have no job opportunities. Progress in

this situation is still not visible especially when each transgender interviewee gave the same

responses and experienced the same abuse in their day-to-day lives.

Discussion
Our results and findings support our hypothesis that there is a progressive increase in transphobia

in the urban areas of Pakistan. Our findings along with the research articles we used as secondary

sources both support the hypothesis and were in conjunction. Along with the data that we

collected and researched it is evident that transphobia existed in earlier times and is it a part of

our society. However, due to the limited time, we were not able to conduct our research study

thoroughly and were unable to collect information from other cities in Pakistan which could have

strengthened our research paper. Taking this into consideration it can be stated that our results

are valid and can be generalized as they apply to the whole transgender community in Pakistan.

The strength of our research study is that we were able to collect information through the

personal stories of multiple transgender students which allowed us to observe whether

transphobia is still existent or not and surveys answered by the binary genders of an age group of

18-25 allowed us to gather a different perspective. The weakness was that we were unable to

write a more detailed study using primary information from other cities in Pakistan which would

have reduced generalizations and would have diversified our research. Future research can be
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 22

done on whether transphobia has a socio-economic effect and whether religion plays a role in

improving this issue or not. In recent years, many people have heard that some individuals

change themselves physically or act as transgender to receive money from other people which

can also be used to research whether transphobia is increasing due to this issue or not. Some

questions are also left unanswered like how there is a divide in the trans community itself,

especially amongst those who enjoy dancing to earn money and those who choose to learn new

skills like stitching and makeup. Lastly, whether the government is aware of how severe

transphobia is and is really providing them with the same opportunities as received by the binary

genders.

Limitations
Certain limitations were faced during our research study which is that we conducted interviews

with people who were in Lahore only and in other cities in Pakistan. For our interviews students

from only one transgender school were questioned which was mainly since there is only one

transgender school in Lahore that we visited which limited our research to that one particular

place only. Only 5 transgender students were interviewed which was mainly because they were

hesitant in taking part in the interview and some were scared to open up while answering the

questions. These transgender individuals belonged to similar families and social backgrounds

because they were all supported by their family members which is not the case in most families

who have a transgender child. One of the interviewees also stated how there was a divide within

the transgender community which is a limitation in our research because we only interviewed

transgenders who were from a similar school and background and that did not provide a different

perspective on the struggles their community face. Especially those who are not supported by
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 23

their families and are left to fend for themselves, unlike the transgender individuals we

interviewed.

Conclusion
To sum up, 20% of the people were not aware of the term transphobia and 67.7% strongly agreed

that transgenders face prejudice which is evident in the increase in transphobia. The transgender

interviewee’s daily life experiences show that transphobia has heightened and is increasing day

by day in the urban areas of Lahore. Therefore, there is a need to spread awareness towards the

marginalized community of transgenders and urge the government to take better action against

transphobia.

Bibliography
PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 24

Alam, I. (2019). Issues and Management of Transgender Community in Pakistan: A Case Study

of Lahore. Pakistan Social Sciences Review.

Amin, H. (2004). A Phenomenological Study to Understand the Religious Belief and Socio-

Cultural Practices of Transgender in Urban Lahore. Journal of Secondary Education and

Research.

Asghar, J. (2018). Media Portrayals of Transgender People in Pakistan - A Case of Misgendering

and Marginalization.

Babar, M. (2013, October 26th). Despite Gains, Pakistan's Transgender Community Under

Attack. rferl.

Jadoon, A. (2019, May 24th). Myths About Transgenders We Need To Get Rid Of. Maatitv.

Kanwal, A. (2020, May 13th). Transphobia to transrespect: undoing Hijraism through

rehumanization of Khwaja Siras in Pakistani TV dramas. Taylor & Francis Online.

Khan, A. (2020, June 4th). Khawaja Sara and Hijra: From the middle rung of power in Mughal

Harem to the Outcast individuals in British Colonialism. Daily Times.

Khilji, U. (2022, March 28th). Battling Transphobia. Dawn.

Marshall, Z. (2019, March 1st). Documenting Research with Transgender, Nonbinary, and Other

Gender Diverse (Trans) Individuals and Communities: Introducing the Global Trans

Research Evidence Map. National Library of Medicine.

Mohydin, R. (2019, January 22nd). With Transgender Rights, Pakistan has an Opportunity to be

a Pathbreaker. Amnesty International.

PROGRESSIVE INCREASE OF TRANSPHOBIA IN PAKISTAN 25

Nazir, N. (2016). Education, Employability and Shift of Occupation of Transgender in Pakistan:

A Case Study of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan: Attacks on Transgender Women Surge. (2016, August 22nd). Human Rights Watch.

Ramay, N. (2019). Transgender Rights in Pakistan: A Comparitive Analysis. PCL Student

Journal of Law.

Sharif, R. (2020, December 1st). Challenging Transphobia: Being different is not a crime.

United Nations.