British-Pakistani actor Riz Ahmed, who visited Pakistan recently for Lahore Literature Festival, has praised Marvia Malik – Pakistan’s first transgender news presenter - for achieving her dream.
Taking to his official Instagram account, The Night Of-star wrote, “Congratulations to Marvia Malik.”
He added, “In some ways Pakistan has been ahead of the curve in certain aspects of trans rights. In other ways it has lagged behind. Hoping we can all learn from each other in paving the way to greater inclusion.”
Riz has been vocal about transgender rights in Pakistan during his visit to the homeland after 13 years.
“In recent times, Pakistan has recognised the ‘third gender’ on official government documents, cementing their place in the society. But despite this recognition, they are marginalised and often earn a living through dancing, sex work or a kind of spiritual begging,” he wrote once.
Marvia has been making headlines with her appearance on a mainstream media channel, projecting a positive image of her community and the inclusion of the third gender in the public sphere.
With that she instantly became a source of inspiration and an icon for many specially her fellow community members.
