The Pakistan transgender community and transgender allies have criticised activist Almas Bobby’s ‘true khawajasira’ comment during an interview on a private news channel.
During the interview, Bobby had said that medical tests should be conducted to determine the ‘true transgenders’ because “fake ones were taking the privileges and gaining benefits after declaring themselves as transgenders”.
“The government should conduct medical tests of all of us and if I would be proved as a male, I will accept it,” said Bobby, adding that she and other activists have spent their lives in the country while such people are getting tours and visas of Nepal, Maldives, and other countries.
Condemning the comment, transgender community page PECHRA wrote: “Dear Almas Bobby Ji, with due respect, what you couldn’t say on national television let us (transgender community of Pakistan) say that to open to you. What you are referring to as true khawajasiras are those who have gone through castration (commonly known as nirban).It is true that getting castrated and further having sex reassignment surgery is a protocol adopted by international medical associates linked with transgenders, but it is also true that a lot do not want to or cannot get operated because of various reasons.”
VIDEO COURTESY: BOL TV
“You are a senior person and we truly respect you for what you are but if you call yourself a ‘True Khawajasira (true transgender)’ just because you have gone through an operation than kindly do not forget that once you were also a ‘fake transgender’,” the post read.
“You have mentioned the so-called ‘fake transgenders’ are going to Sri Lanka, Nepal etc than you should also be knowing that a transgender protection bill has been passed for the first time in the history of Pakistan because of these so-called fake transgender activists,” the post further read, adding that today transgender community is becoming visible because of these so-called fake transgender people.
The post concluded with a request to Bobby, “Please, for God sake don’t confuse the world anymore. We have fought really hard up till now. If you cannot encourage us at least don’t discourage us. Try to understand what the term transgender means. It’s a slow process of transitioning from one gender to another, and the speed varies from person to person circumstances. ”
Pakistan Today is trying to contact Almas Bobby for her comments on the issue.
