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Community => Politics and Government => Topic started by: Shane for Wax on January 04, 2012, 08:57:36 am

Title: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 04, 2012, 08:57:36 am
http://www.care2.com/causes/pakistan-transgender-leader-runs-for-election.html

Quote
Shahana Abbas Shani, President of Pakistan’s She-male Association, has announced that she will run in elections as an independent candidate for the city of Muzaffargarh for the Punjab provincial assembly.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Shani said that she has made the decision because she wants to discuss problems faced by her community, which she says have been ignored by Pakistani society, in the assembly.

“There is no other way for us to be heard and now when the Supreme Court of Pakistan has allowed us to have an identity card, we will fight for our rights,” Shani said.

The landmark 2009 court decision recognizing a ‘third gender’ has not been enforced by authorities, which caused severe problems for trans people during the recent devastating flooding, particularly in Sindh province, through a lack of ID cards. In November of last year the court ordered that they be registered as voters.

During the disaster, transgender people were left out of the aid efforts and denied access to IDP camps because of general prejudice, their non-conforming appearance and their lack of proper identification documents.

This is interesting and I will certainly try to keep an eye on how it goes.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: D Laurier on January 04, 2012, 09:01:37 am
More power to her... although I cannot see this ending well, I do hope she gets elected.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Smurfette Principle on January 04, 2012, 09:04:02 am
I sincerely hope she wins, but she has the sexism attached to being a woman and the transphobia attached to being trans that will certainly impede her.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: ironbite on January 04, 2012, 10:14:14 am
Oh I do hope this doesn't end with her getting killed for just being what she is.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Art Vandelay on January 04, 2012, 10:21:01 am
$10 says she has a week left to live at the very most.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: DasFuchs on January 04, 2012, 12:39:42 pm
Yeah, I see her getting shot. They aren't too accepting of things like that in the mid east
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: gyeonghwa on January 04, 2012, 11:47:38 pm
Yeah, I see her getting shot. They aren't too accepting of things like that in the mid east

It's South Asia actually. They're more culturally aligned with India, even if they don't admit it.

Edit: I suppose it's Pakistan so it may be understandable, but did really use the term she-male? I thought that was offensive to many transwomen?
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: DasFuchs on January 04, 2012, 11:49:16 pm
Yeah, I see her getting shot. They aren't too accepting of things like that in the mid east

It's South Asia actually. They're more culturally aligned with India, even if they don't admit it.

Edit: I suppose it's Pakistan so it may be understandable, but did really use the term she-male? I thought that was offensive to many transwomen?

Her odds are not improving
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: gyeonghwa on January 04, 2012, 11:56:52 pm
Yeah, I see her getting shot. They aren't too accepting of things like that in the mid east

It's South Asia actually. They're more culturally aligned with India, even if they don't admit it.

Edit: I suppose it's Pakistan so it may be understandable, but did really use the term she-male? I thought that was offensive to many transwomen?

Her odds are not improving

No, I recognize that she would not do well there. Even in India, they've only recently decriminalize homosexuality (like in the last 5 years) and transgender people are largely invisible, so I don't expect Pakistan to be better in that regard.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Shane for Wax on January 04, 2012, 11:58:48 pm
Re: She-male

that is the name their organization chose for themselves if I'm reading things right.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: gyeonghwa on January 05, 2012, 12:14:23 am
Ah, well if they use that term for themselves, I suppose that's alright.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Jodie on January 05, 2012, 03:16:55 am
That is an incredibly brave stand to make, even thought I fear a bad outcome. Pakistan isn't exactly known for it's acceptance of progressive ideas or cultural change.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: anti-nonsense on January 05, 2012, 04:31:43 am
what a lot of courage that takes, I salute her.
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: Søren on January 05, 2012, 05:25:31 am
Yeah...she's gonna get killed....I'm going in on the bet action
Title: Re: Pakistan Transgender Leader Runs for Election
Post by: kefkaownsall on January 05, 2012, 08:22:05 am
I will say Pakistan is in some ways more socially liberal then India
They actually recognize sex changes where in India they dont