Pakistan gay rights
Home / gay topics / Pakistan gay rights
While the Supreme Court ruled in favor of civil rights for transgender individuals in 2009 and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act was passed in May 2018, there are no specific civil rights laws in place to protect LGBT individuals from discrimination or harassment based on their sexual orientation. Information can sometimes be outdated, so seek advice from reliable sources before traveling.
Remain vigilant, stay informed, and stay safe as you explore Pakistan’s vibrant culture and history.
Protect Yourself While Travelling In Gay Pakistan
As a traveler visiting Pakistan, it is essential to stay informed about the local LGBT rights situation and take necessary precautions to protect yourself.
Transgender women are particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse, despite an improving legislative environment for transgender people.
Law and Legal Developments
2018
Pakistan’s Parliament passed the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act in May.
This law grants the country’s transgender citizens fundamental rights. Activists have appealed this judgment, and the law continues to offer temporary protection to transgender people in the country while the appeal process unfolds. We want to be sure you know how and why we use your data. A spokesman of the PTA (Pakistan’s internet regulator) gave reasons for the censorship: “We blocked the website under the law because its content was against Islam and norms of Pakistani society.”
For the first time in the country’s history, several transgender women ran for public office in the May general election.
2012
A qualitative study published in BMC International Health and Human Rights found that “the transgender community is socially excluded by Pakistani society which is leading them to indulge in commercial sex and putting their lives at risk.”
References
1.
Nevertheless, social exclusion, harassment, and stigmatization of khawaja sira, transgender, intersex, and gender nonconforming Pakistanis persist despite these legal protections.
For local Pakistanis, the challenges are more significant, as they face potential discrimination and criminalization of same-sex relations under the inherited British colonial law Penal Code section in force since 1 January 1862.
As a result, the local LGBT community has had to persist in a self-created sphere, separated from the rest of the population and largely protected by those within it.
For tourists visiting Gay Islamabad, Gay Lahore, or anywhere else in Pakistan, it is important to understand that homosexuality is still illegal in the country and can result in imprisonment.
The Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 allows anyone whose gender does not conform to their sex assigned at birth to change their legal gender based on self-determination. According to a range of LGBT NGOs and activists, society generally shunned transgender women, ‘eunuchs’, and intersex persons, collectively referred to as hijras, who often lived together in slum communities and survived by begging and dancing at carnivals and weddings, while others relied on prostitution.
Not only does Pakistan criminalise same-sex sexual activity, it also fails to properly protect other vulnerable groups, such as women and children, from sexual offences.
Enforcement
2020
In August it was reported that the Lahore High Court had issued an arrest warrant for a trans man accused of entering into a ‘same-sex marriage’ with a cisgender woman.
This provision applies only to sexual intercourse between men. The same article claimed that whilst many arrests occur: “[i]n almost all cases charges will be dropped.”
In December, a TV reporter entered a couple’s house, accusing them of being gay. Consequently, their human rights are protected to a somewhat greater degree.
By staying informed and vigilant, you can navigate the country with the necessary knowledge and safety measures in place.
The Future For The Queer Community In Pakistan
As an LGBT traveler in Pakistan, it is crucial to discuss the future of LGBT rights in Pakistan and how they affect local people versus tourists.
This has dealt a significant blow to the rights of transgender individuals that are part of the broader queer community in Pakistan.
Sentences include a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Disclaimer
The country profiles on the Human Dignity Trust’s website are developed through a combination of in-house expertise and research, including monitoring media reports; sourcing reports from partners and stakeholders; and reviewing reports from governments and other human rights organisations.
We go to great lengths to ensure that, to the best of our knowledge, the information provided on our website is correct and up to date.