2018 was revolutionary for the Trans-Persons community in Pakistan. Not only were they finally recognized as equal citizens of the state when the Transgender Persons Protection of Rights Act was passed but were also given the due respect they deserved as humans.
Soon after, we saw the community flourish in a country that was no longer a threat to their lives.
The Gender Guardian is a school in Lahore for the trans-folk that focuses not only on academics but on extracurricular activities as well. The school was inaugurated in 2018 and provides 12 years of education from primary to matric and later two years of college.
But Lahore didn’t stop there. Shortly after, we were eyewitnesses to Pakistan’s first trans-person to make it to the news industry at the age of 21. The news of Marvia Malik’s employment spread like wildfire and was celebrated.
The country rejoiced as official documents of the state, for the first time in its history identified the community for employment-related opportunities.
A week ago, a trans-woman named Moon made it to the news with her start-up Koond Chaari: Ghar Say Dastar Khawaan Tak.
The said start-up is a home-cooked food delivery service that is run wholly by Moon and other trans folk. Koonda Chaari runs on a monthly basis and provides food for up to 10 individuals for a price of 3,500/-. So if you’re in Lahore with dire need of home-cooked meals check, out their Facebook page for updates and deals.
Koond Chaari means Khana Peena in the community’s language.
The word spread like wildfire on Twitter and activists including Bina Shah and Nighat Dad came to the aid of the khwaja sira community and did their fair share of promotion. The service is at the moment exclusive to Lahore but we dream for the day this isn’t news rather an everyday happening.
We hope this new venture is a success and opens doors for all the marginalized communities in Pakistan.
To find out more, visit their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/KoondaChaari/?ref=page_internal.
Ms. Pudina Chatni – ‘The Future Is Brown, Queer & Femme’
Maryam’s a Communication and Design major and an English and Comparative Literature minor at Habib University. She thoroughly enjoys reading South Asian Literature and is a Partition Literature enthusiast, who is often found admiring the origins of cultural theory.
While one may occasionally find her at events catering to art and culture in Karachi, she would much rather be home binge-watching British comedy.
Get in touch at [email protected]
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