Call to set up commission for transgender rights

LAHORE : Gender bigotry is the worst kind of torture in human minds. It leaves marks and damages the person’s soul. Making a separate cemetery for the transgender is still a discrimination and inequity towards third gender community.

A state-of-the-art commission on the status of transgender rights is the need of the hour and the members should be from the transgender community.

These views were presented by the speakers at a session titled “The third Gender and challenges to mainstreaming in the justice system and law enforcement agencies” on the event of Asma Jehangir conference on “Justice for empowerment” 2018.

The session was moderated by Ali Dayan Hasan (former human rights watch, South Asia researcher) while a transgender activist Jannat Ali, Grassroots Community Organiser and Researcher Mehlab Jameel, lawyer Sarah Sohail and teacher Aun Shahid were amongst speakers.

Mehlab Jameel said, “Transgender protection bill has been passed in May 2018 and that was a huge milestone. But, still, it’s just a beginning.

Jannat Ali said, “No one needs to speak on our behalf. We can speak for ourselves. We just need the support from our families and friends. We don’t seek sympathy or pity we need responsibility and compassion towards us and towards our right to live freely as we want. We can’t even speak about our rights in public. They have burnt transgender alive, killed them, raped them and tortured them to death. No one can imagine our pain which we face every day. “

Sarah Sohail said, “This is the dilemma of our society that we have set some particular standards for men and women. Sometimes, even men and women don’t fit in those criteria. And rest of the society gets offended to see others living freely and being themselves.”

Aun Shahid said, “There is a huge misconception among people about gender and sex. We need to talk about it. There is a huge gap between families and their children. Unfortunately, violence on us starts from our own home and from our own loved ones. Talking about gender preferences is still a taboo in Pakistan. And we need to talk about it more.”

A large number of civil societies, students and lawyers attended the session and appreciated the whole Asma Jahangir conference.