Debating the third gender
Monday, January 18, 2010
By Gibran Ashraf
http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=219343Despite the recent orders by the Chief Justice of Pakistan, in which it was suggested that transvestites be given their rights such as issued CNIC's and be hired for debt recovery, the community continues to face the scorn and neglect of the Pakistani society. This was stated by Bindiya Rana, a transvestite who is runs an NGO by the name of Gender Interactive Alliance (GIA) Welfare at an event at Faraar (The Second Floor).
The event was a two part interactive session over the issues faced by transvestites which involved the screening of a documentary, "Bindiya Chamkay Gi", which was incidentally made on Bindiya Rana and how she spends an average day and the kinds of problems faced by the transsexuals in Pakistan.
Known as "Khwaja Sira" in their small community, Rana talked about her NGO and the apathetic condition of the Khwaja Siras in Pakistan.
