Transgenders: ‘United, we stand alone’

Bebo is one of those lucky transgenders who were given jobs in the city.

KARACHI: “Even when united, transgenders in the country stand alone in their fights for equal rights in society,” says Bebo, a transgender worker in the Cantonment Board, Clifton’s tax recovery department. “Even our families do not accept us they way we are.”

Bebo was addressing a press conference at the press club on Thursday which was organised for transgenders to raise their voice on Human Rights Day.

“They expect us to be quiet and behave like either a male or a female so that no one outside the family would find out,” she says.

Bebo has completed her Bachelor’s and has completed many beautician courses. Despite the many challenges, she feels that people like her are standing at a juncture where nothing is difficult to achieve, even for members of her community.

However, she represents only 17 of those lucky transgenders who were given jobs in the city, but others — almost 3,000 in number — still resort to begging and prostitution.

“We are neither accepted not respected anywhere,” complains Rifee Khan, one of the representatives. She says that they are always blamed if any complaints are made and are not given any quota in schools or jobs.

“We are considered showpieces rather than human beings and when we resort to our own means of dancing and entertaining people to earn money, we are looked down upon.”

Addressing the media, Rifee demanded their community be given a separate identity in the census, given protection and given opportunities for training and employment.

Bindiya Rani, president of the Gender Interactive Alliance, says the transgender communities of the provinces of Sindh and Punjab had formed a united Alliance for the Rights of Transgenders to gather them on one platform and pursue their human-rights campaign even more vigorously.

Similar awareness conferences are being held in other cities of the country simultaneously and the alliance plans to arrange a national conference soon, she adds.

“We are also trying to contact similar organisations in Italy, Sudan and other countries and will soon come up with more dynamic strategies for our struggle.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 10^th, 2010.