In the last two years, Orange Is the New Black has proven to be one of the most multi-faceted and diverse shows of this decade. It is a blend between a harsh reality, a cruel joke, and a fit of absolute hilarity. Around 80 per cent of the show is set at a Federal Women’s prison in New York. The show, based on a book of the same title, highlights a crude and in-your-face sense what life for the female inmates is like. [embed width="620"]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x1p3l6n_orange-is-the-new-black-jungle-trailer_tv[/embed] What makes it interesting is that for every character on the set, every one that we see, we are shown their backstory — how they were brought up, what their crime was which lead them in prison, etc. We see the personalities of the very criminals, whom under normal circumstances most people would stay away from, dissected right before us. Arguably the best part is finding out exactly what makes each and every one there tick, steal, deal and/or kill. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] From deep-seated corruption in high-ranking officers to petty arguments among inmates, each episode is a psychological revelation. When it comes to the main character Piper (Taylor Schilling), viewers can never conclude whether they’re rooting for her or not. When she walked into prison in the very first season, she was just like us — a regular person with regular feelings and conditioned reactions — but by the third season, she’s morphed into a viciously manipulative ‘panty-dealer’. And although her title may add a small amount of humour to her actions, the fact is that she takes inspiration from The Godfather and adopts a ‘fool me once, I’ll destroy you’ approach to her prison-business. Indeed, we even feel that her ‘Trust No Bitch’ tattoo she brands herself with seeps much deeper than her skin. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="591"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] This approach spills into her personal life as well. It is next to impossible for any of the fans to like the dynamics of her relationship with Alex (Laura Prepon). It is the very definition of abuse and many internet blogs and discussion threads highlight that the dynamic is simply a never-ending limbo of Alex ruining Piper’s life, then Piper ruining Alex’s again, and again, and again. Each time, we tell ourselves that we’ve seen Piper at her worst, and then she gets worse. From beating the hell out of Pennsatucky to bringing Alex back to Litchfield to purposefully delaying the alluringly androgynous Stella’s (Ruby Rose) release, we find it harder and harder to empathise with this person we could once relate to. It’s almost a relief when Alex ends the relationship yet again. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="591"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Other big events in season three included Nicky (Natasha Lyonne) being thrown into the maximum security prison and not returning for the rest of the season. In one single episode, we saw pre-prison Nicky betraying her friends and repeating the same drug-induced, self-destructive betrayal at the end of the 60-or-so minutes. The episode in question was like a dagger to fans’ unprepared hearts, which made it even more difficult to watch fan-favourite and transgender icon Sophia Burset (Laverne Cox) be dragged to the Special Handling Unit (SHU). One very ‘freaky’ thing that happened this season was the birth of a new religion. Norma (Annie Golden) suddenly became the Jesus of the Meth-heads and company. They saw signs of her divinity in the most ridiculous things, the most memorable example of which was interpreting Norma’s face in a slice of burnt toast. It became clear later though that the fanaticism and over-reading into religious signs was made to mimic the outright silliness of uber-religious fanatics like Pennsatucky’s fundraising crowd. Some critics said that certain aspects of the show were not possible in an actual prison, the case in point being when a construction mishap allowed all prisoners to escape to a nearby beach. Nevertheless, this escape helped still-developing plot-lines like Suzanne’s (Uzo Aduba) romance with Maureen (Emily Althaus), and Cindy’s (Adrienne C Moore) conversion to Judaism move along. But the most important consequence of this beach trip is that Alex is left alone in the greenhouse cornered by a guard sent by Kubra (Eyas Younis), the ever-feared supplier that got her into this mess in the first place. Her fate is left completely uncertain while all the other prisoners enjoy their short burst of pseudo-freedom. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="592"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] What I personally like most about this show is that it has the ability to influence and to even change a viewer’s opinions on multiple controversial topics like abortion, transgender rights, the purpose of life, the point of the prison system, just to name a few. The viewer doesn’t stay the same person at the end of watching each episode as he/she was at the start, and that’s what the real beauty of the experience is for a fan— self-development, self-discovery, change, growth and perhaps most importantly, a new-found affinity for acceptance.

The arts being an unconventional career choice in a society that still views the holy trinity of business, medicine and engineering as the only acceptable professions, artists are more attuned to the plight of those struggling against stereotypical expectations. Perhaps that is why the recent initiative taken by the National College of Arts (NCA), Rawalpindi, to employ members of the transgender community at the college, has been received with such warmth by students and faculty alike. People are recognised in society by their professions. Pursuing the career of your choice can be a priority over a vocation with better financial remuneration. Veena, a young transgender, who now works as an administrative assistant at the fine arts department at NCA, used to be a professional dancer. However, she has chosen a modestly paying desk job over a highly lucrative dancing career. She made a choice to live life on her own terms, and has no regrets. Director of NCA’s Rawalpindi campus, Nadeem Omar Tarar, explains how the idea of employing Veena came about. He says,

“In a discussion with Usman Mughal, who was conducting his thesis on employment problems of the transgender community, and his supervisor Dr Abu Bakar, we agreed that the gender role of transgenders as sex objects can be redefined by giving them opportunities of performing regular jobs. I asked Usman if we could find an educated transgender person to hire.”

“Most occupations have nothing to do with gender. Encouraging the transgender community by giving them opportunities of choosing from diverse career options will eventually empower them, which in turn will make them an acceptable part of our society.”

“I made myself comfortable by accepting that the reason of my discomfort wasn’t them, but the way I saw them,” says Abeera, a third year student at the National College of Arts, Rawalpindi.

Honour is taken as the sole prerogative of men in Pakistan; but a transgender managed to set a higher example of self-respect and honour in our narrow minded society. Aashi, a 45-year-old transgender from Lahore is struggling against all odds in order to support her family by herself. Her family consists of an elderly mother and a bedridden brother. Aashi makes a living by working as a tailor but things were not always like this. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="330"] Aashi, a 45-year-old transgender from Lahore is struggling against all odds in order to support his family by himself.[/caption] When she was born, her family accepted her with the same regret and reluctance every new born transgender is received within our society. Aashi’s father was a police officer and he preferred to conceal the identity of his new born baby who was born with stunted male reproductive organs. Eventually, although male characteristics were dominant in Aashi’s personality, there were clear signs of femininity as well. As time passed, people started noticing how Aashi was different. She was sent to school where fellow students and even teachers made fun of her. By the age of 15, everyone began whispering about Aashi being a transgender. During those days, people would make fun of her, and her family would feel ashamed of her. People in the area would also taunt her brothers as, “khusray kay bhai” (brothers of a transgender) and in return the brothers also started developing a hatred towards her and lash out by beating her up. She was a human being, but society was treating her inhumanely just because she was different – a transgender – something she was born with, not something she was responsible for. Eventually, when she couldn’t bear the physical and mental torture anymore, Aashi decided to leave Lahore and move to Karachi. This was in 1986, when she was only 15-years-old. She spent the next 20 years there. To earn a livelihood like other transgendered individuals in the city, she had to dance on the streets, at wedding ceremonies and other events where some people would harass her. During all those years no one except her mother wanted to see her. More time passed; her father retired from the police and her mother fell ill. In what seemed to be her last days, she urged her husband to look for Aashi. Her father unwillingly searched for her, found her and took her back to their house in Lahore. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="338"] His father unwillingly searched for him, found him and took him back to their house in Lahore.[/caption] Upon her return, Aashi’s mother’s health improved and she insisted that Aashi stay with the family. Aashi’s brothers opposed the idea, leaving no choice for her and her mother but to leave the family home and start living in a place for rent in Lahore. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] Upon his return, Aashi’s mother’s health improved and she insisted that he stay with the family.[/caption] Aashi never danced or indulged in such activities willingly. She always had a great sense of aesthetics and so, to earn a living, she started working as an apprentice at a tailor shop and learnt the art of stitching. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] He always had a great sense of aesthetics and so, to earn a living, he started working as an apprentice at a tailor shop and learnt the art of stitching.[/caption] A couple of years later, Aashi’s father was diagnosed with a chronic illness and became bedridden. His sons, whose birth had once made him so proud, now refused to take care of him. Eventually, he had to move to Aashi’s house, the child he once deemed unworthy. Aashi the khusra (transgender) took over the responsibility of nursing her father. Day in and day out, Aashi took care of her father and provided for all of his needs up until his demise. Later, one of her elder brothers, who used to beat her for being different, also fell ill. Once again, apart from Aashi, nobody else in the family took over any kind of responsibility. Now everyone in the family is dependent on Aashi. She works as a tailor at Lahore’s Fountain House, supervises a gift shop, looks after her mother, brother and provides for all their basic needs. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] He works as a tailor at Lahore’s Fountain House, supervises a gift shop, looks after his mother, brother and provides for all their basic needs.[/caption] Aashi’s family once considered her a disgrace. Today, they thank her for everything she has given to them. By constantly struggling and committing to living an honourable life, she has now become the man of the house. All photos: Shahid Wafa

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government allocated Rs200 million for the transgender community while announcing their provincial budget. Thank you, your effort is much appreciated. But the main question is; will Rs200 million be the solution to the on-going problems they face? Is it going to remove the social stigma attached to them? How about passing a law against those individuals who treat transgender people with utmost scorn and brutality? Most importantly, how long will it take you to give them their due rights as equal citizens of Pakistan? Back in 2012, the Supreme Court of Pakistan issued a judgment stating transgender individuals will have equal rights, as per the constitution, including the right of inheritance and right to adopt any profession of their choice. Today, a fatwa was passed allowing transgender individuals to marry. Even though Mufti Imran stated the government is responsible for this legislation going through in order to protect transgender individuals and change the way people think about them; the fact remains that this faction of society will remain to be targeted. Regardless of laws and fatwas being passed, this particular segment of society has been the victim of several hate crimes, insults, physical harassment, sexual abuse, psychological torture and murder. In the past year, in K-P alone, 46 transgender individuals were killed and 300 suffered varying forms of brutality and cruelty. To be honest, no law or amount of money can rectify the glaring situation we have at hand. It is more to do with our thinking. We think they’re the downtrodden individuals of society and can only be used for entertainment, be it singing and dancing at weddings or on the occasion of a birth. The mere mention of a transgender in a normal conversation is taken as an insult,

“Tum toh aaj khusray lag rahay ho.” (You look like such a transgender) “Khusray jaisi harkatein na karo.”  (Don’t behave like a transgender).

In our part of the world, our society comes equipped with a ‘sorting hat’ of sorts. When a girl is born, the hat is placed on her head and she is given an instant identity of a daughter, niece or a sister. As she grows older the identity keeps evolving; she becomes a wife, a mother, a grandmother and then she dies. Of course men are also handed the same titles too, a son, a brother, a husband etc. However in more cases than not, it is not what gives them their identity. An alcoholic husband who beats his wife will still be admired and looked up to for being the Vice President of a big company. Most commonly, his success is what he is associated with. The woman on the other hand, will still continue to be known by her biological relation to others. To put it in even simpler terms, Sadaf Aziz may own a large multinational company, but her identity will remain “Aziz mia ki begum.” Even if she wins a gold medal at the Olympics, chances are that people might still know through her husband. Ring any bells? With this in mind, women start to conform to what is expected of them from the ‘society.’ They lose their individuality and start behaving and acting the way they are expected to by others. Sit a certain way, be feminine, don’t talk loudly, hair should be tied, don’t laugh loudly, women don’t play rough sports, you should not have short hair, you should wax, mothers should not work, you can’t go there, wear makeup, don’t wear makeup, and so on and so forth. A Pakistani advertisement recently tried to tackle that and created an ad starring regular students encouraging others to “do your own thing.” They took to the streets of Anarkali wearing fashionable clothes while strangers watched. It was about owning your space and the discomfort was quite apparent. It did not go down too well with many and the girls ended up getting so many threats, they had to eventually take down the ad completely. And now H&M has come up with a new ad to subtly fight the stereotypes on what a lady should be. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] An ad to subtly fight the stereotypes on what a lady should be.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] She’s a lady plays in the background featuring a curvy woman comfortable in her own skin, a woman dressed in ‘manly clothes’ and a woman laughing with completely out-of-control hair dining with her friends. They are dark skinned, light skinned and of all shapes and sizes too. It features a woman with more toned muscles than most of our heroes, a woman who sits and eats fries in bed and one with no hair on her head. Literally. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A woman with more toned muscles than most of our heroes.
Photo: Screenshot[/caption] An especially striking one illustrates a woman who confidently walks into a boardroom, with a file in hand, full of people waiting for her to start a meeting. [caption id="" align="alignnone" width="600"] A woman confidently walks into a boardroom, with a file in hand, full of people waiting for her to start a meeting.
Photo: Sreenshot[/caption] The ad even stars a transgender. People, who, we are finally starting to realise, do really exist in our part of the world. Womanhood encompasses a lot more than one believes. While we, in Pakistan, may not be able to relate to the ad 100%, we can still take something away from it, in the least that we are all individuals and we can be ourselves while still keeping the role that the sorting hat put us into. A great mother can also confidently lead a huge company. A loving wife can prefer to not be dressed in dainty clothes all the time. A grandmother can sing and dance to karaoke. A single girl might become a cartoonist or heck, even a boxer.

“A lady can be anything she wants. She can look any way she wants. She is whatever she wants to be.”

“Even if we’re begging, it’s not as if we’re stealing or looting.”

“Behen dus rupaya dedo, Allah aapke naseeb achay kare ga.” (Sister, give me Rs10, God will make your life better.)

“Beta, Allah tujhe bahut de ga; ghareeb ki madat kar de” (My child, God will make you wealthy; help a poor person.)

Nobody does crazy like Pakistan. In 2016, the world lost their collective cool and Pakistan was put on the crazy back burner. But that does not mean we didn’t have our moments. It is time to acknowledge those moments. The strangest out of all the weird stories, the most real-fake news, as well as the funniest – let’s honour the best. Presenting, the Social Media Awards for 2016! From sacrificing goats before flying planes to kabootar agents, from stationary dharnas to mankind’s angels, from chai walas to Momina; these are my favourite stories from last year. The time for politics is over; we are in the age of the celebrity – Donald Trump is president. The victor of the 2018 elections in Pakistan may depend on who is trending today! The nominees are: 1. Momina Mustehsan – Coke Studio has never had so many people listen to their songs on mute. 2. Arshad Chaiwala – because.. blue eyes! 3. Fawad Khan – have you seen him? Pakistan and India almost went to war over him. 4. Hamza Ali Abbasi – I love Pakistan. PTI4lyfe. Plz share. 5. Shafaat Ali – the easiest way to make Pakistanis laugh is by mimicking their politicians. We love our mimics! 6. Junaid Akram – khalli karao 7. Nasir Khan Jan And the winner is: Arshad Chaiwala. Why? Because, I repeat, blue eyes! Ideally this award would be given to the moments where Hamza Ali Abbasi says anything, but he got nominated in the previous category so let’s give someone else a shot. The nominees are: 1. The ban on Indian Movies – how dare they send Fawad Khan back? ... wait we should be thanking them for that; Fawad Khan is back! 2. Every Facebook comment thread on an Express Tribune story – you are no more than two degrees away from every story being made about Pakistan–India. 3. Trolling India over Pakistan becoming the number one Test team of the year – finally proving the two nation theory! 4. Imran Khan announcing a new date for the dharna – March 2016. 5. Imran Khan announcing a new date for the dharna – June 2016. 6. Imran Khan announcing a new date for the dharna – October 2016. 7. Imran Khan announcing a new date for the dharna – November 2016. 8.  ___________________________________ (keep space in case Imran Khan announces a new date for a dharna in December) And the winner is: Farhan Khan Virk. He doesn’t have to be invited to get into every conversation. 2016 was the year that patriarchy was challenged more vehemently on social media than ever before. Even so, some men around the world stuck to their ideas of masculinity. We would like to reward these men with a slow clap. The nominees are: 1. The Indian man who sought a divorce after being called a mota haathi (fat elephant). 2. The Saudi man who divorced his four wives so he could marry four others. 3. Qandeel Baloch’s brother. 4. Rana Sanaullah – because moochain. 5. Commander Safeguard 6. Hafiz Hamdullah for assaulting Marvi Sirmed during a live show on News One. And the winner is: Qandeel Baloch was the internet personality of the year for 2016 which made the news of her brothers actions spread like wildfire. But his actions were deplorable and inexcusable. So, Saaf Saaf Pakistan – Congratulations Commander Safeguard. The typical Pakistani reaction to ‘bold’ videos is,

“Taubah, taubah. Astaghfar. Haw, haye. How could they do this? ….. Acha phir say chalao.”

Amna, a 35-year-old from the Mingora part of Swat and 26-year-old Meeno from Peshawar were killed in Saudi Arabia this week in police custody. The death of any prisoner at the hands of law enforcement is already disturbing as it is, but these two were allegedly tortured to death. Alongside 33 others, they were arrested, placed inside sacks, and beaten, and beaten, and then beaten some more until the two succumbed to their injuries. Imagine being helpless, alone, inside a dark claustrophobic sack, and struck on the body and head with canes and kicks until dying painfully. There is very little that would justify such a gruesome death. Were they murderous criminals? No. Were they terrorists who had killed others mercilessly? Wrong again. Their crime, sadly, was a crime they had been committing since they were born in the eyes of hard-line Islamists; they belonged to the transgender community. They had offended the Wahabi-minded extremists enforcing draconian interpretations of Islam by wearing female clothes, because they gender identified as women. Imagine being born as a transgender, enduring abuse and sexual harassment all your life, having limited education and job options throughout your life, and dying by torture at the very end of a life cut woefully short. Transgender rights activist Qamar Naseem has been rightly left disgusted by the murder. He said,

“Torturing humans after throwing them into bags and beating them with sticks is inhumane.”

“No one is there to save them as the life of a transgender is not of any value to anyone, not even for our own government.”

“Gender fluid people are treated badly, sometimes flogged, and if someone is arrested on the same law for a second time they can be executed.”

For this year’s International Women’s Day, Pakistani women from Lahore, Karachi and Islamabad have decided to stick it out together, get out on the streets of their respective cities, and march to reclaim their space in the public sphere. The event, called the Aurat March, is planned and organised entirely by a diverse group of women belonging to different ethnicities, classes and sections of our society. The march itself is not linked to a particular organisation, nor is it initiated or funded by any political parties or groups, and all women (and men) are welcome! https://twitter.com/MJibranNasir/status/971364518130536448 Pakistani women from all stages of life getting together to organise the Aurat March has been an absolutely phenomenal and life-changing experience, to say the least. I can say with certainty about the march in Lahore – where I was part of the group of women who organised the event – that it has taken a lot of passion and dedicated effort to plan this peaceful demonstration, which is to start at Hamdard Hall on Lyton Road at 4pm, and will go all the way to Charring Cross crossing the Punjab Assembly. https://twitter.com/AuratMarch2018/status/970629258778464257 Across the world and throughout history, we have seen women on the front line of various movements and revolutions, as they came out to demand their right to vote, or to protest crimes against their gender. As they pushed for more inclusivity and progress, their passion was often mistaken for fury, and they were declared hysteric or crazy, and treated accordingly. In Pakistan alone, who can forget the work done by organisations such as the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) to reclaim the status of women, at a time when the state itself was treating them as second class citizens? So many women from the older generation of feminists have poured their blood and soul and fought to ensure the position women are in today, and today we march to honour their legacy. Over the past several years, Pakistan has had more of an awakening when it comes to women’s rights. More and more women are taking note of the scale of injustice and violence against women and the absence of basic rights for them in the country, and as a result, are becoming more aware of the everyday sexism they face in private and public spheres. The past year, in particular, where the news cycle was dominated with stories of women being raped and murdered, has made it imperative for there to exist a unity amongst these women in order to tackle the very real issues they face in our society. And perhaps it is losing a champion in the face of Asma Jahangir that has made a political demonstration the apt way to pay our respects and honour the woman who fought tirelessly for our rights, in an era where the system was against us. Today, women will join hands and participate in the Aurat March to show solidarity not only for other women, but also against a misogynistic culture that unfortunately continues to prevail in every part of the country. Perhaps this will sound cliché, but no one can deny that women’s rights are gravely important for the functioning of a society. It is a fact that, for any country to move from developing to developed, the women have to be educated and be more involved. What women want – what everyone should want – is a society in which women from all ethnic backgrounds, religious communities, including low income, working class, displaced, refugee and differently-abled women, as well as persons with all gender identities, can exercise autonomy over their lives and build a peaceful, healthy environment, one where they can rely on a fair justice system to support them in times of need. Therefore, this International Women’s Day, women march with an aim. Not only do we demand safety, rights and justice from the state, we also aim to show resistance by reclaiming our spaces on the streets, which have been largely restricted to and occupied by men. The Aurat March will be an example of power through mass action, as we join hands to share and fight the struggle together. https://twitter.com/AuratMarch2018/status/971330963337826304 The agenda of this march is to demand the most fundamental rights as women; human rights that are so easily granted and reserved for men. These demands include, but are not limited to, an end to violence against women, labour rights, reproductive rights, environmental justice, anti-sexual assault laws, wage equality, fair political representation and opportunities, education equality, equality for the transgender community and an end to child marriage and honour killings. This form of political mobilisation of women is something many of us in the current generation are seeing for the first time, and our main objective here is to ensure that Pakistani feminists are part of the bigger movement to construct a world where there is no discrimination or oppression. https://twitter.com/nidkirm/status/970971601058623488 With the Lahore Aurat March, we have attempted and tried our best to engage women from all backgrounds. Some of the organisers are experienced in building such movements, but for a lot of us, this is a first, which is why we all unanimously concluded that we are allowed the time and space to make some mistakes and learn from our experiences. As long as we get women out on the streets and start a conversation around women’s issues, we believe that, per se, would be a big accomplishment at this early stage. On a personal level, many women in the organising team also visited various schools, colleges, and events to help spread the word. In addition, each of us has been reaching out to domestic workers, factory workers, and women who work at home, and have tried to involve as many women as we can from the informal sector. Representation from all corners of the society matters immensely, and no women’s march can take place without the involvement of women from all spheres of life, especially in Pakistan, where women are more commonly found in the private sphere than in the public one. Yes, the internet and social media are great tools for advocating change, raging, and even for running campaigns. However, truly being part of a movement actually means getting out there and displaying as a united front what it means to be passionate about equality, dignity, safety and opportunity. https://www.instagram.com/p/BgDJOpVHBJh/?taken-by=purniya My only hope is that our resistance continues to be relentless, and this kind of solidarity proves to be visible every year from now on. The Aurat March has taught so many women the importance of mobilisation for a cause; a mobilisation that has been largely absent for women, even as the rest of the country mobilises for political causes on a regular basis. It was heartening to work with a great group of women, as we helped each other learn and participate in the first of what will hopefully be a growing list of marches. While the march itself was always the end goal, it remains an honour for me to be part of this wonderful group of supportive, intelligent and driven women, with whom organising this event was just as fun as it was empowering! To all the women in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad – this International Women’s Day, get out there and march!

In the midst of an agonising election season, and after the incredible success of Coke Studio Explorer, we just witnessed the release of the Coke Studio season 11 trailer. Leaving us utterly speechless with its ravishing and inclusive rendition of ‘Hum Dekhenge’ by Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the song previewed many of the artists who will make their Coke Studio debut this season. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unOqa2tnzSM Coke Studio has perhaps finally caught on to showcasing new artists that needed mainstream public attention for so long. These new artists are not only well-versed in their melodic symphonies, but also carry a cultural reminder, exemplifying what Pakistan’s diversity means. We also saw some of our favourite legends from previous seasons such as Abida Parveen, Ali Sethi, Ali Azmat, and the dynamic duo, Momina Mustehsan and Asim Azhar make a comeback. The song gave us promising scents of exciting music, culture and youth. https://twitter.com/someaningless/status/1020992929115123712 Here are three things to look forward to in this season: 1. Inclusive environment After the country had shown incredible support for Marvia Malik, Pakistan’s first transgender news anchor, the whole nation has come to celebrate a certain sense of inclusivity and tolerance, or at least has taken the first step towards it. Thanks to some of the more prominent media platforms and influencers like Muniba Mazari, Bijli and Roshni Baji, from the transgender community, have entered the limelight into mainstream treatment. However, Coke Studio has taken it a step further by including two trans women as part of their season 11. Lucky and Naghma, the two names that have become the centre of attention for holding the song’s representation on social media, are heard voicing the verse,

“Jo main bhi hun aur tum bhi ho” (What I am, and you are too)

“So you have decided to keep humiliating us in front of people,” he said with a roaring voice.

“You are a boy, a man! The only waris (successor) of our hundreds of acres of land. I will beat you black and blue if I ever find you doing anything girly again.”

“Aah Zahid! My poor boy, it’s you.” “I beg you to please take me with you.” “Please go away my child. Do not get fascinated by this mask of happiness on our faces.”

“But I don’t belong to these people. My body does not belong here. I feel like a female soul caged in a male body.”

“Don’t leave me, please. I want to go with you. I am you. I am like you. I am one of you. Don’t let my feminine soul die in agony amongst these barbarians,” Zahid kept pleading, unaware of consequences.

Wandering across the city of lights without a clue about your destination has a certain edge to it. When it comes to digging up possible stories hidden somewhere within this metropolitan, the best possible course of action is always to take a walk in this crowded coastal expanse. Carrying the burden of writer’s block, I decided to journey through this city in search of inspiration.   It took a significant part of the day for my restlessness to triumph over my determination, and with a sense of certain defeat, I paused for a cigarette at the nearest cabin I could land my eyes on. Dusk was almost upon the metropolitan, the crowd starting to disperse as yet another day neared its end. Some emerged as victors while others did not, but somewhere a forgotten portion of this city’s population faced certain defeat, like they have most days in their lives. It was at this point of the hour that I encountered an individual. I was immediately baffled, as I contemplated how to address the person standing right beside me. Do I address them as ‘he’ or ‘she’? Should I even approach them in the first place? I kept questioning myself until I finally decided to stop second guessing my instinct and turned to greet her. Yes, she was a transgender, and calling her by the right pronoun seemed the very least I could do. Calling her a ‘he’ just didn’t make sense. She happened to stop at the same shop I did, to buy a cigarette after a tiring day of begging for a living. A brief introduction was all it took for me to realise that she too had a lot burning up inside her, and the fact that someone was going to narrate her tale was perhaps the one good thing that happened to her that day. After some polite conversation with Saima – her preferred name – I tried to get further insight regarding the humiliation and denial her community faces on a daily basis. The following conversation began with reluctance from both sides, but quickly streamed towards a subject I personally felt more discomfort in confronting, but to my surprise, Saima was more keen and straightforward in answering my questions than I was in asking them. I decided to begin with a simple question.

Where did it all start? I never asked the people who brought me up about my parents or how I ended up with them. They are the only parents I know, and my community is the only family I have. I started begging when I was eight-years-old. I didn’t need makeup or fancy clothes back then, being a child was enough to get out on the streets and beg. Later, when I grew up and my body started developing in both a manly and an unmanly manner, I knew it was time to alter my style. How do you cope with the daily humiliation and neglect? Humiliation and neglect are a significant part of my daily routine. Over the years, we have learnt to deal with the comments and abuse thrown our way, and frankly, we have evolved to become better at replying to bricks with stones. However, what really hurts is the ignorance we receive from people who drive their fancy vehicles and treat us as if we don’t exist. There are still some people in this country who deny our very existence, which is very difficult to cope with. How does it feel to be treated differently when you go out on the streets? The moment I was old enough to understand where I was and what was going on in my surroundings, I was told by my guardians about how different I am in comparison to other people my age and gender. This, I believe, is the best thing about my community. We don’t give false hopes to our children – we crystallise the harsh realities of their existence and the difficulties they’ll face in the world beyond those walls, which in turn results in very few surprises and even fewer disappointments. When I first went out on the streets, I knew I was different and hence the abuse and mockery didn’t have as big of an impact on me as it should have. Have you ever felt self-pity in your life? Well, I wouldn’t label it self-pity, but there have been several incidents on the streets that were immensely painful. One particular time I went up to a vehicle with a family inside. The husband looked away the very moment he laid eyes on me, so I went up to his wife and asked for some money. Her daughter was sitting on her lap, and upon looking at me, she pointed her finger at me and said to her daughter, “If you don’t listen to your parents, you’ll end up like this.”

Access to clean and safe public toilets is one of the major factors that affects women’s mobility but it is sadly not given enough attention. There aren’t enough public toilets available in the country and those that are available are in horrible conditions. Majority of public spaces do not have toilets at all and even when they do, there isn’t a separate one for women. For example, Faizabad, Swan and PirWadhai are three major bus stops and cater to around 1,000 passengers on a daily bases. Unfortunately, I was unable to find a separate toilet for women in any of them. In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) adopted a groundbreaking resolution by recognising access to sanitation and use of excreta disposal and waste water facilities as a human right. This is indeed true; denying access to sanitation is denying basic human rights. In one of the reports by United Nations Regional Information Center (UNRIC), it is stated that 443 million school days are lost every year due to water and sanitation related issues in schools globally. Given the importance of this facility, Prime Minister Imran Khan has talked about clean and safe toilets under the clean and green Pakistan drive. This endorsement should have been appreciated by the masses; sadly, however, it was used to criticise the government’s misdirected priorities. This criticism only reflects our collective indifference to the importance of clean and safe toilets for all segments of society, especially for women, disabled people and transgender community. One should ask a young girl struggling in school during her menstrual cycle. From no running water to no sanitary kit, there is a myriad of problems. Moreover, there isn’t even a proper wastage system so that she can dispose off the used sanitary napkin ensuring that it isn’t hazardous to the environment or spreading germs around her. I have personally faced these dire circumstances while I was on the field or travelling by public transport. During the initial days of my career, I did not care or calculate the risk of unavailability of clean and safe public toilets. I would plan my travel and would even go during my menstrual cycles only to learn that I could not find a single, separate, hygienic toilet for women. Forget about rural areas where openly defecating is still a common practice, I am talking about big cities like Lahore, Karachi, Multan and Islamabad that lack these basic facilities. Due to these issues, I was unable to change my sanitary napkin for more than eight hours which led to me developing a severe skin infection. I even suffered through a urine infection because I was unable to use the bathroom for more than eight hours. Now that I have had such horrid experiences, I do my homework before travelling and choose locations and dates carefully. This may sound like a good enough solution, however by doing this, I have limited myself to certain places and circumstances due to which my work has suffered. I once happened to visit the Ministry of Human Rights in Islamabad and had to use the toilet. There was only one relatively clean and safe toilet on that floor but it was locked and the keys were with the male head of that area. I asked a female colleague how they managed to work here all day and she told me that it is indeed a big challenge and they cannot even offer prayers since there is poor sanitation and lack of separate toilets and ablution areas for women. Ironically, this is the Ministry of Human Rights, depriving their workers of their rights. Unfortunately, this lack of sanitation isn’t limited to public offices, bus and railway stations, as even hospitals have deplorable toilet facilities. You should rethink going to the bathroom in any public hospital in Islamabad. Chances are you would either go home with more diseases or the foul smell would kill you there and then. Sadly, our sanitation problems stem from our behaviours as citizens. There are so many people in this country who lack basic ethics on how to use a public facility. Many women just throw their used sanitary napkins and children’s diapers on the toilet floor, used paper towels are randomly tossed on the floor as well, there are people who forget to flush the toilet after they are done, and many leave the floor wet which is disgusting and highly unhygienic. Even at the hand washing station, I have observed people throwing water all around the counter that makes it difficult for other users; some even clear their nostrils and do not wash the sink. Toilets for men are equally terrible and in one of the places I visited, I was informed that one small toilet is used by 45-50 men and they do not have clean running water. Considering the circumstances, there is a huge potential for private sector to invest in sanitation. There are many recognised brands that manufacture sanitary products and can provide sanitary products across the country under their corporate social responsibility. Similarly, the real estate and private builders can offer their assistance to the government to build low cost, clean and safe public toilets nationwide. The government should ensure that they install safe locks to public toilet doors as well. More importantly, there needs to be awareness campaigns, educating masses on water management, sanitation and hygiene because unless we change our behaviour, all of these improvements will go in vain. Apart from the basic facilities, women should also be given access to a free helpline in the bathroom so that they can report any kind of harassment or bullying immediately. There also needs to be proper facilities for the transgender community since they face harassment in men’s toilets and aren’t allowed to go into women’s toilets. Unisex bathrooms are a solution but given the security situation in the country, it is likely that there can be some cases of harassment and bullying. Perhaps, there can be an attendant that looks over and ensures safety. With November 19^th coming up, which is regarded as World Toilet Day, people have realised the importance of having access to clean and safe toilets. However, there are many countries that are still struggling in this regard. Our neighbour India, even though a strong economic force, suffers from lack of public toilets and the increase in open defecation. According to UN, universal access to adequate and equitable sanitation and the end of open defecation by 2030 is goal number six in creating a better world. This only shows the importance of having a clean environment which the citizens of this country keep on shrugging off. In a country that prides itself of being Islamic, we have failed to follow through on the importance of cleanliness and good hygiene in our religion. It is time Pakistan provides its citizens with the facilities they deserve.

A loud cry echoed throughout the silent room, followed by the hustle and bustle of nurses. Sighs of relief were let out along with cries of joy as smiles crept across everyone’s faces. The long-awaited guest had finally arrived. The father swirled in ecstasy as he leapt forward to take the little bundle of joy into his arms. However, this feeling of joy was quick to fade as the nurse brought forth the baby with her head bowed down in dismay. She walked past the joyous father and placed the small human wrapped cosily in a blanket into the mother’s lap. She gulped in fear for she knew not even the little one’s family will treat it with affection. With a heavy heart, she broke the news that it was not what they were all hoping for. The room became hauntingly silent. It seemed as though a life was taken rather than brought into this world. Was it because of the impending death of a mother’s love? No, it could not have been, because a mother’s love could not die so easily. However, it was the definite death of the so-called family honour. The glares and stares from all around made the mother feel as though she had committed an unforgivable sin. She was shunned as if she was a maleficent. She heard her mother-in-law wail in grief claiming that all she ever demanded was a son for her child. She dared to look down at her child and what a beautiful sight it was. Its big round hazel eyes sparkled brighter than the North Star. The small pink mouth cracked into a tiny smile that reached till its rosy cheeks as the baby lay asleep without a care in the world. This poor thing had not a clue of what its future is to hold. Tears streamed down the mother’s face. She caressed the little head gently, as she managed to give a weak smile. At that moment she knew she had fallen in love completely and hopelessly. However, knowing that this love story too will have a tragic ending, she leaned down to kiss it one last time. Amidst the silence, a loud clap resounded, sending shivers down her spine. She heard the demands to give the baby away for it was no longer hers. It was clear that the little one’s fate had been set in stone but she refused to give her child away. She embraced her child with all her might, using every ounce of energy in her frail body to tackle the arms that were being extended to snatch her most prized possession. Her mind refused to process the idea that whom she bared in her stomach for nine months was not even considered human anymore. The father forcibly snatched the baby, pushing his wife aside. He swiftly placed it into the demanding arms, out of her reach. She stared at her husband, astonished at the fact that he had stooped below the level of humanity. He stooped so low that he refused to accept his own blood. Torn into pieces, she fell to her knees begging to be given her baby back. But no one paid any heed to her pleas. She was so baffled by how everyone reacted to a gift from God. Instead of celebrating, they mourned the death of their honour. Forget love, how could they not have even an ounce of empathy for this little living thing? It was a creation of the Almighty, but for the society, it was no more than a nuisance they would soon see on the streets, clapping and begging. It would be just another form of amusement that would be treated worse than stray dogs on the street. Her heart ached at the thought. Who knew the punishment of belonging to the third gender would be so severe.

Dear Abba and Maa, We live in the same house, but you have created a distance between us that leaves me feeling miles apart from you. Who generated this hatred in your heart? You can blame me for it if you wish, but I blame your fundamentalist understanding of religion and your rigid expectations of a gender role that I am unable to fulfil. Tell me, are these things more important to you than I am? I am a human being with flesh, blood and emotions. You are offering your love to imaginary abstractions, meanwhile I am left deprived of it. Abba, you threatened to kill me if I proceeded with my transition. You laughed at me when I was bleeding heavily because of hormone medication complications. Even though the situation was critical, you still refused to take me to the hospital. Why didn’t your heart tremble with fear that I could die? Abba, you tried to marry me off to a woman, hoping to fix me. I thank God the woman refused the marriage. Why shouldn’t I expect an apology from you at least? Maa, why shouldn’t I expect an apology from you also? Every time I ran home early from school because I was being bullied, I expected you to console me with a hug. I expected you to tell me that there is nothing wrong with me. But what did you do? You told me they were right. You said, if I would just act like a normal boy, they would stop taunting me. You said the fault was in me, not in them. You made me feel guilty for being bullied. And why shouldn’t I expect an apology from all of my sisters who so often embarrassed me by calling me names in public. Why did they always make me feel guilty for being effeminate? Why shouldn’t I expect a special apology from my second sister who preached that my transition will bring dishonour to the family? She said it will ban all of you from heaven. Her preaching led to the extreme torture that I had to endure. Dear Maa and family, even if jannat (heaven) exists, I don’t believe you will get in. Only kind and compassionate human beings are admitted to jannat. Why shouldn’t I expect an apology from my whole family for the time when I was sexually harassed in front of them at a wedding party and they did nothing to stop it? The groom’s brother introducing me to everyone saying,

“This is my brother’s sala (brother-in-law), a chakka (transgender).”

“Do you want to take my banana in your mouth? Come to the washroom.”

“You can change your hobby, but you cannot change your nature. If someone offers Rs10,000 to you in exchange for wearing such a feminine dress, you are probably not going to wear it. The same dress, however, is second nature to me. I wear and admire it every day. That does not make me any less of a human, does it?”

“I grew up studying well in my school, always ahead of my classmates and earning excellent grades. In matriculation, I chose to study science and got the first position in the class as well in our town, with 80% marks.”

“My parents did not accept me for who I was, and they began pressuring me and beating me to remain silent. I knew I was different, but there was no support for me. My father did not allow me to study any further, or even to meet my friends. I was forced to stay at home, and even watching TV was banned. It would take several nights to tell the tales of those days. Life was hard, and the worst part was that it was my own family making it hard.”

“This needs to change.”

“There, at least other people respected me for who I am; there was a life and a community I was part of. In short, after I joined the transgender community, for the first time in my life I felt happy as a human being. The weight I had been carrying for years was finally lifted. I made new friends, but I always missed my family. I lost my family, and I lost my childhood. The main problem in the new place was that I could not continue my education. It was not because of money, but rather because my father refused to give me my previous degree and documents.”

“No one from my home was with my mother. I moved into my home and started taking care of her. All my sisters and my brother had been married, and it was just me at the time who looked after my mother. I washed her dirty clothes, took her to the restroom, and woke up in middle of the night when she was unable to ask for a drink of water,” she revealed. “At that time, my father was tolerating my presence at home, not because he loved me, but because he did not have any other choice.”

“My father never smiled at me; he never even looked at me. Even when I tried making tea for myself, my father would turn off the gas. The hate for me never melted.”

“No one is going to come for you until you don’t do something for yourself,” Noshi stated with a sigh.

“My old classmates who were not as good in class as I was, some of them are now working in government jobs, and some in the private sector,” she laments with a sigh. “Every morning when I wake up, I think of how my old friends are waking to get ready for their offices  – and me, their class monitor, wakes up to beg on the streets, just because I was born different.”

Not too long ago, I got the chance to watch one of Pakistan’s highest-grossing films. The film was nothing but an amalgamation of misogynist jokes edited together, but what stood out the most to me was just how blatant the movie was when it came to ridiculing the transgender community. As part of our association with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) working for the transgender community, my friend and I have spent ample time with transgender people, which is perhaps why when we saw that film, it immediately became evident to us that it was mocking the community for that is not how they are in real life. Transgenders do not necessarily have exaggerated gestures and ways of sighing, nor do they always cross-dress and seduce the other gender so provocatively. They also do not necessarily have to belong to a guru-chela system (though there is nothing wrong if they do). It was thus clearly a poor and transphobic representation of an already marginalised community, but ironically it only generated laughs from the fully-packed theatre hall. Could this movie’s portrayal of transgenders be considered discrimination? Yes, because they were shown to be harassers who constantly touch and pester men. However, was this an act of violence against their community? You decide. Violence, as many would say, is about power. Each and every act of violence that goes on establishes the perpetrator somewhere in the power hierarchy. Violence is not an isolated act occurring without any prior thought process. The beginning of violence is with thoughts that are discriminatory in nature; a casual joke about being transgender would be enough to get called out as a problematic thought reflective of a troubling mindset. Thought processes trigger emotions in the perpetrator; emotions that are hateful and aggressive. Emotions such as aggression and apathy towards the suffering of transgender people, or emotions such as a complete lack of empathy to understand where they are coming from or how they must feel as they are harassed, mocked and abused regularly. These thoughts and emotions are then expressed in form of a behaviour that is violent, such as bullying, harassment, name-calling, acid attacks, shaving their hair off, rape, beating them up, and so on. It is ingrained in a patriarchal thought process that transgender people are inferior because they challenge and shake the conservative masculinity that aids patriarchy. I remember raising this argument in a discussion recently at a training session, where I argued that we must accept how violence against transgenders is very common in our society, particularly from what is reported in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P). I was told by the locals there that the reason for this violence is not ingrained in discrimination or toxic masculinity but rather in business dealings – entertainment at weddings and private parties – and romantic affairs. I feel that this denial can be pretty much generalised to the men in our society overall. It seems like an alien concept to us that the real psychological motivation behind committing heinous acts of violence against the transgender community is rooted in discrimination, prejudice and toxic masculinity. According to masculinities studies, men who are raised in a patriarchal setup are stuck in a system of hierarchy. The lower you are on the hierarchy of power, the less masculine you are perceived to be, and hence are attributed as ‘weak’ in the social capital framework. The lower you are on the hierarchy of power, the more you will be subjected to violence and discrimination. For instance, men with white-collar jobs are exploited by heads at corporate, while men with blue-collar jobs are exploited by the white-collar workers, and so on goes the hierarchy. Whatever time I have spent with transgender women has told me just how tragically their love lives end. Their lovers conveniently throw acid on them or beat these women to death. They get away with it, because the justice system has loopholes and because the agents of this process – the police, for instance – are also a product of this patriarchal system with an innate hatred and tendency to discriminate against the transgender community. Unless a case is highlighted over social media or by human rights workers, the system is never motivated enough to listen to the transgender community, let alone ensure justice. I remember Salima*, a transgender woman who struggled her entire life with emotional abuse at the hands of her parents. Growing up, everyone around Salima could notice that she was not comfortable with the body and sex she had been born with. Yet people failed to care about her struggle and instead chose to bully and ridicule her. Salima tried extremely hard to be masculine in order to avoid this bullying and emotional abuse at the hands of her classmates, former friends and family members. She struggled for a decade, but could neither accept the masculinity she tried to fake upon herself nor could she accept herself as a woman. This transition was made worse when a taxi driver tried to rape her while she was returning alone from a friend’s wedding in the said taxi. The taxi driver sensed her transition, despite her being physically male and dressed like one, which led to him saying some of the most insulting things about her gender. This event was just the beginning of the violence that was to come in Salima’s life. Meanwhile, Salima’s friend Shiza* was violated by her lovers for the sake of money. She was unable to find a partner who would not physically or emotionally abuse her, and if she did find someone who did not abuse her, they would turn out to only be interested in her entertainment business and money. The physical spaces where violence against transgenders is committed in our society are abundant. Transgenders are stigmatised and are even refused treatment in a majority of our hospitals. They are targeted in markets and can’t even buy groceries in peace. They are not allowed to enter malls. They are not taken seriously in police stations. They are ridiculed in educational institutes and even religious institutes providing education. They are systematically removed from all public spaces, except for the ones where they are most vulnerable. Salima couldn’t even attend her sister’s wedding, as everyone thought people would consider her as a transgender entertainer instead of the bride’s sister. She asked me,

“Doctor, don’t these so-called women dance on weddings? If I dance, I’m a third rate transgender woman spreading vulgarity and then they tell me this will break my sister’s marriage.”

Every now and then, efforts are made by filmmakers to produce a movie representing the LGBTQ community as accurately and unbiasedly as possible. However, very few of these movies fulfill their aim while also being politically correct. https://youtu.be/Fl-XRHcioIc Adam, based on its namesake novel, is a prime example of this case. Released recently on August 14^th, the film has already managed to garner quite a lot of criticism, a trending hashtag against it and a petition to boycott it. Marketed as ‘one of the most exciting LGBTQ films of the year', Adam is, in fact, a classic exemplar of what exactly a movie made on the LGBTQ community is not supposed to portray. https://twitter.com/OliverWolfie/status/996336368799318016 The movie revolves around Adam, a cisgender male who discreetly and regularly watches his older sister, a lesbian, have sexual intercourse with her female partner. This enhances his sexual desire and he decides to, quite literally, dress up as a transgender to become a part of the community and have sex with oblivious lesbian girls. Accompanying his sister to New York’s lesbian and transgender circles with his new-found identity, he manages to get physically intimate with a lesbian girl. Eventually, Adam comes clean about his real identity to one of the women, who not only forgives him but also reveals that she’s fallen in love with him. She goes on to tell him that she fantasised about him being a “real boy” anyway, and hence not only does she not mind him lying to her but also feels “cured” of her lesbianism. [caption id="attachment_87003" align="alignnone" width="600"] Photo: IMDb[/caption] Yup, you read it right! If we are to unpack the nuances of this film, voyeurism is among its first. I fail to understand how a storyline that involved a boy watching his older sister engage in sexual activities went even beyond the pitch phase. The idea is extremely disgusting to even begin with and highly unsuitable to be used as a premise of a film. Needless to say, it completely ignores the concept of boundaries, consent and invasion of privacy. The movie’s portrayal of sexual orientation as a costume that one can put on whenever they wish to is immensely problematic in several ways. Firstly, it delegitimises sexuality to a large extent and perpetuates the myth of sexual orientation being a choice. The propagation of such ideas by the media influences the common understanding of the issue and misleads people into believing false versions of it. In an era where people of the LGBTQ community greatly struggle and suffer because of their identity already, trivialising it is highly unethical. https://twitter.com/itscourtkendell/status/996216915751243777 https://twitter.com/masterbunne/status/1000174302598193152 Moreover, it reinforces the misunderstanding that transgender people do not possess a genuine desire and are merely predatory beings with intentions of convincing people to engage in sex with them. This is a widely-believed notion and Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists (TERFs) often slam transgender women for it. Watching Adam do the exact same only strengthens this notion and aggravates the problem. https://twitter.com/talentlessegirl/status/997237193167945729 Another very offensive feature of the film is its portrayal of lesbianism as a condition that can be cured with a man's intimacy. The second girl Adam engages in sex with not only claims that she’s been “cured” of her lesbianism after the act but henceforth starts identifying as a cisgender woman permanently. Being born with a sexual orientation that isn’t widely accepted leads to various forms of harassment millions of people from the community deal with on a daily basis. Depicting it as a problem that needs ‘curing’ and as a ‘fixable’ phenomenon is plain wrong. It significantly discredits the authenticity of lesbian women. https://twitter.com/mayiero/status/997242893130649600 It is quite surprising, and of course disappointing, to note that transgender men have the least amount of representation in the movie, as compared to other identities represented in the film. Hiring a cisgender to play a transgender man is utterly unnecessary when an actual transgender man could have represented his sexuality in the most genuine way. Casting a transgender man and giving him exposure, even if in a poorly-made film, would have meant a lot to the community as well, at least more than picking a cisgender male to do it. To add insult to the injury, the very few transgender people who were hired for the film were misgendered, lied to and treated extremely poorly. https://twitter.com/tinybird420/status/1153980202202095616 All in all, the film is not only a false depiction of the community and their ways but is a huge insult to them. It is extremely offensive and distorts reality to a great degree. Filmmakers should be a lot more mindful, especially about communities that are already marginalised, and realise that their work has far-reaching consequences. The excuse of the film being based on a book is neither justifiable nor acceptable. There is immense difference in the amount of impact a book and a movie has. Since a movie is more visual in nature, it leaves a deeper impression on the minds of its viewers. Simply basing your entire storyline on that of a book's without being conscious of its implications is purely unethical. If not revamp, the story could have been at least tweaked in some parts that are threatening to people's mental health. https://twitter.com/amethystprinxe/status/997420179305967616 https://twitter.com/alex___180/status/997527025773621248 Living in an age where we are in dire need of queer-friendly content, such 'art' only tends to ruin the progress we have made regarding inclusion so far, which itself, isn't a lot at all.

About a third of the world is experiencing a lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic. My current country of residence, the United States, is in extensive lockdown including my home state of New York, which also happens to be the hardest hit area in America. These are extraordinary circumstances, and it is only during such time that we start taking notice of many things which we may have taken for granted in the past. In fact, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that the world is currently collectively reflecting upon and reassessing their lives. For example, this crisis has made many realise that having a well-functioning healthcare system is more important than military might. It is also making us rethink our attitudes towards globalisation, and once this crisis is over the path towards international integration could witness several modifications. The role of the government, which in several countries had been reduced over the past three decades, is also being reassessed as many are realising that nations require a strong and powerful government to deal with such crises. It has also highlighted the importance of many things we used to take for granted; simple things like enjoying dinner at a restaurant or going to the mall. Likewise, at an individual level we are appreciating the importance of certain professions. Obviously, the stature of healthcare workers has risen enormously since they are on the front-line saving lives, but even those professions which have traditionally been considered ‘low skill’ (e.g.  shopkeepers and delivery personnel) have assumed extraordinary importance. Above all, social isolation is making us realise how important socialisation is in the human context. During these moments of forced social isolation perhaps we should give a thought to those who have always been deemed social outcasts. A few days ago, a friend of mine sent me a video of a Pakistani transgender rights activist, Julie Khan. In that short but extremely heartfelt video, she raised some extremely pertinent points. She said that for her community social isolation, and that too of far worse kind, has been always been a norm. According to her, the current government induced social isolation, while hard for many is nothing compared to what society has always forced onto her community. She said,

“You people are now exercising social isolation but without any discrimination. You just have to live alone. While living alone you, if you have thoughts like that you don’t have parents, home or any place in society, food to eat, job and education; if you live alone with all these thoughts, then tell me how does it feel. I pray that along with it there should come another crisis, so you all would have to think about that as well.”

“We are termed as a curse and a punishment from the God. Because of all these problems, we cannot give much importance to coronavirus.”