‘A disease’, ‘dirty’ and ‘unnatural’ – these are just some of the words used to describe being gay in Pakistan. BBC Three’s eye opening documentary explores Pakistan’s highly negative views on homosexuality, whilst following presenter Mawaan Rizwan’s personal journey of coming out to his parents and exploring whether it’s possible to be gay and live a normal life in Pakistan.
At first the answer seems to be that it is decidedly not possible. In 2013 a national survey concluded that only 2% of Pakistanis said that being gay was acceptable. This shocking figure is only the tip of the iceberg, in Pakistan having intercourse with the same sex leads to a prison sentence between two to ten years or in very rare cases being stoned to death. It’s almost unbelievable that this type of treatment of people still goes on in the world and stoning is used as a punishment for being gay, especially when in most countries being gay is openly celebrated.
The LGBT community have to go underground, meeting up in dingy nightclubs and hotels, that can only be described as sex dens. Rizwan interviewed Sid and Kami, a couple that are determined to fight against this prejudice and be able to get married in the near future. Surprisingly, they seemed unafraid to express their views openly. Even with the knowledge that by returning to Pakistan they would face certain danger, they were resolved to go back because ‘it’s the coolest country.’ The main problem for the Pakistani LGBT community is that there simply seems to be no one to stand up for them. With this issue deeply rooted in Pakistan’s culture and religion, it’s difficult to speak out against the norm, especially when the law forbids it.
Just as it seems that Pakistan is undoubtedly anti-gay, Rizwan encounters groups of rural male labourers that, because of an apparent lack of women or money for prostitutes, sleep with each other, but do not classify themselves as gay. It seems that this is a society that is at odds with one another. As Rizwan succinctly puts it, ‘it’s a society that at it’s worst rapes and threatens gays, and at it’s best either turns a blind eye or offers up cures.’ Not wanting to stereotype every Pakistani, the documentary features a number of people that are supporters of LGBT rights, especially those pushing for the education of the danger of AIDS
Ultimately, the documentary seems to offer no answer for the problems of the LGBT community and showed the viewers little hope for the future. Rizwan ending the programme by declaring how lucky he is to be able to return to London and live openly, seemed insensitive to those he had met. He failed to really explore where the average person’s hatred for homosexuality comes from, only asking questions that would provoke a negative response. The focus being mainly on the stories of gay and transgender people, the documentary failed to include any coverage of lesbians in Pakistan. Whilst it highlighted a number of important issues that many people are unaware of, the documentary presented a disjointed picture of Pakistan with Rizwan making it unclear what he personally hoped to achieve.
Sophia French
Featured image from The Independent.