Pakistan

Same-sex relations are still banned under Pakistan’s Penal Code. In areas of Sharia law, the death penalty can be imposed, and societal opinion in relation to LGB people is pervasively negative. Laws against “obscene acts” and “unnatural offenses” contribute to widespread antipathy towards LGB people in Pakistan. In contrast, transgender people, locally known as khawaja sara, are seen in a more complex way – both as bearers of good fortune and as outcasts. Consequently, their human rights are protected to a somewhat greater degree. The Transgender Person (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018 allows anyone whose gender does not conform to the sex assigned at birth to change their legal gender on official documents, hold public office, and vote. The act further enshrines protection from discrimination in housing, employment, and education. Social exclusion, harassment, and stigmatization of khawaja sara, transgender, intersex, and gender non-conforming Pakistanis continue to be an issue despite these legal protections. Pakistan remains a conservative country that values traditional family structures and conservative religious ideals. Politicians and influential religious leaders frequently denounce LGB people, and LGBTIQ people more broadly, as “un-Islamic” and “immoral.” Public officials have used the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act, passed in 2016, to censor websites addressing LGBTIQ issues and depicting LGBTIQ people. Pakistani media often perpetuates inaccurate and anti-LGBTIQ ideas, contributing to negative societal perceptions.