Transgender people and their allies took to the streets of Lahore
Transgender people gathered in Lahore for the first ever trans pride march in Pakistan this weekend.
Taking place on Saturday (29th December), transgender people and their allies took to the streets in support of trans rights.
The event kicked off with a press conference by the activists leading the march.
The march itself attracted a big crowd, as they took to the streets through the second most populous Pakistani city. People held signs in support of the community and waved flags, as people on the street looked on.
The state of trans rights
Pakistan offers more legal protections to transgender people than the majority of its neighbors, though they still suffer discrimination in the community.
In the Sindh province, a new bill has been drafted which will make it illegal to harass trans people in the workplace.
Those convicted under the law could lose their jobs and face criminal charges.
Meanwhile, a specialist hospital ward has opened designed specifically to treat transgender patients.
Opened in the capital of Islamabad, the transgender community are offered free treatment from specialist doctors.
This came about after a High Court ruling that meant all public hospitals in Punjab province must provide separate facilities for transgender patients.
This is due to the difficulty trans people face in finding when seeking healthcare.
by Tom Capon
Source – Gay Star News
