During the Mughal era, transgender people, known for their wisdom, were respectable members of society with decent jobs. However, during the British Raj, they were marginalised and made financially unstable. They were forced into begging and dancing – professions they are relegated to even today. They suffer discrimination, stigma, violence, harassment, and exclusion from society. One cannot help ask: why? Is it their fault that they were born transgender?
In 2018, the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act was passed, giving transgender people the right of self-perceived identity, right to vote and right to health care. Moreover, in October 2021, the Transgender Protection Centre was set up in Islamabad, and the PPP has also included 25 transpersons in the party. However, heartening as these steps are, they will not be enough unless society starts accepting and respecting trans people.
Shagufta Nawaz
Attock
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