Gays & Lesbians in Pakistan - Signs of Hope?

Although India has just repealed its antigay Section 377 of the colonial era Indian Penal Code, Pakistan is still opposed to LGBT rights... although there are some signs of hope. Eunuchs, considered a member of 'the third sex' are quite visible and tolerated in Pakistan Pakistan has existed as a Muslim majority nation since the partition of India in 1947 as a prelude to the independence of both nations from British colonial rule. However, its origins go back to Britain's role in the downfall of the Muslim Mughal emperor in 1857, whereupon the British Empire annexed India and Muslim clergy (umma) found their political power and social status sharply reduced. As a response to adverse circumstances, they resorted to forming conservative Deobandi revivalist madrassa (religious indoctrination schools) for boys and adolescent males. In 1918, Turkey's Ottoman Empire fell, leading to a power vacuum amongst the global Muslim community. However, initially the influence of conservative Islamism was blunted by rival ideologies like secular marxism and nationalism in Pakistan. Full Story from GayNZ.com

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