For those looking at Pakistan from the outside, the LGBTQI+ community is often seen as a single, unified front fighting against a common wall of state-sanctioned discrimination. But the reality inside the community is far more complex and, at times, heartbreaking.

As an organization, PridePakistan.org has witnessed a growing and dangerous trend: the internalizing of state-sponsored hate. The constant pressure from the state, religious authorities, and social stigma has created a “pressure cooker” effect where community members, driven by trauma and a desperate need for social survival, begin to use their energy against one another.

1. The “Divide and Rule” of the Federal Shariat Court

The most prominent example of this internal fracture occurred during the 2023 Federal Shariat Court (FSC) challenge against the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act of 2018.

In a shocking turn of events, it was not just conservative religious clerics leading the charge ; it was certain factions of the transgender community itself. These groups argued that the law’s provision for “self-perceived identity” was “un-Islamic.” By advocating for a definition of transgender identity rooted strictly in biological “intersex” conditions, they effectively threw their own community members, those who transitioned socially or medically under the bus.

This was a calculated move for social survival. By aligning themselves with the “Islamic” definition of identity, these groups sought to gain state legitimacy at the expense of others, successfully convincing the court that their peers were “imposters.”

2. “Trans is Islamic, Gay is Not”: The War on Sexual Orientation

Perhaps the most damaging conflict is the growing hostility from some transgender groups toward the gay and lesbian community. In a bid to be accepted by mainstream Pakistani society, many trans activists have begun to publicly distance themselves from “gay rights.”

We frequently see online rhetoric claiming: “Being transgender is a medical condition recognized by Islam, but being gay is a sin prohibited by the Quran.” This narrative is a survival tactic, but it is a deadly one. It validates the state’s persecution of gay and lesbian people while falsely promising “safety” to the transgender community. In reality, it only weakens the collective voice of all gender and sexual minorities, allowing the state to dismantle our rights piece by piece.

3. The Invisibility of Trans Men

Within the gender-diverse movement, space is not shared equally. While trans women (often associated with the historical Khwaja Sira culture) have achieved some level of public visibility, appearing in films, media, and even government roles, trans men remain almost entirely invisible.

Trans men in Pakistan face a double burden. Because they are often assigned female at birth (AFAB), they are subjected to the extreme restrictions placed on women in Pakistani society, including “honor”-based surveillance and limited mobility. Within the LGBTQI+ movement, they are often sidelined. Trans women’s organizations frequently fail to include the unique needs of trans men in their advocacy, leaving them without a guru system, without a community, and without a voice.

4. Mental Health: The Root of the Conflict

Why is this happening? It is not because our community is “hateful.” It is because of Internalized Stigma and Religious Trauma.

When you are told from birth that your existence is “black magic,” a “spiritual disease,” or an “affront to God,” you develop a deep-seated need to prove you are “one of the good ones.” This leads to:

• Horizontal Hostility: Attacking those within your community who are “more different” than you to appear more “normal” to the state.
• Trauma-Induced Aggression: When mental health support is unavailable and you are forced into “conversion” sessions, that suppressed anger often manifests as hate toward your peers.

At Pride Pakistan, we believe that no one is free until we are all free. Using our energy to fight each other only does the state’s work for them. We must recognize that the “Islamic vs. Un-Islamic” debate is a trap designed to divide us.

We call for a community that:

• Centers Trans Men: Recognizing that visibility is a right, not a privilege for one group.
• Rejects the “Gay vs. Trans” Divide: Understanding that our struggles are linked by the same systemic oppression.
• Prioritizes Healing: Moving away from religious shaming and toward affirmative, secular support.

Our survival depends on unity. If we continue to tear each other down to satisfy a state that wants us all gone, we will have no one left to stand with.