28/02/2017
It’s not easy to be a transgender in Pakistan. I try to lead a life that I want; going to university and studying. I have been humiliated by my friends, family, colleagues and almost everyone around me. From being ridiculed to being stranded on an unknown street without any money or a phone, I have faced it all. Despite these challenges, there was one person who supported me and encouraged me. My father. But life wasn't kind. He passed away when I was in 9th grade and things changed drastically. I disclosed and accepted my identity in A levels before which I concealed myself and was identified as a boy. When I started university, I had learnt to embrace myself for who I was. Nevertheless, even today I face a lot of discrimination and disrespect. People, especially girls, stare and snicker so loudly that I can hear them. It hurts. I feel humiliated when they pass rude comments or honk as I pass by. It’s hard to get through each day, but I never let myself indulge in self-pity. Each incident makes me stronger. I wake up every day with a smile and renewed strength. If I can do it so can everyone else struggling in life. I don’t want your sympathy, only your acceptance for myself and other people who are different. Please remember that not everyone is just as strong. Let them live their life the way they want to. They have just as much as a right as you do to be happy. Live and let live.
Courtesy: Humans Of Pakistan