SWAT: The transgender community members here on Wednesday declared they were against spread of obscenity in the society and blasted those of their colleagues who indulged in immoral activities.

Addressing a news conference at the Swat Press Club, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa transgender community president Arzoo Khan and vice-president Alishah said transgender persons were human beings and needed money to live a life, but unfortunately they were not accepted as normal human beings, forcing them to live away from their parents and rest of the community.

The press conference was called after a large number of residents of Shahdara Watkey area took to the streets against the transgender community and demanded of the district administration to expel them from Swat for ‘spreading obscenity’.

“We are human beings and need food and other daily use items for our livelihood. We have to dance in functions as we are not offered any job anywhere,” said Arzoo, also the founder of Manzil Foundation, which works for rights of transgender individuals in the province.

She said earning a living was their right but some transgender persons were involved in immoral practices, which should be opposed. “We also do not support anyone involved in immoral activities,” said Ms Arzoo, who was also accompanied by several of her community members.

She assured the residents of Shahdara Watkey that transgender persons were standing by them and the district administration against those who got indulged in immoral activity.

Other members of the community said there were good and bad people in every community, so there were some bad people in transgender community too, who defamed the rest of the community members.

“We are not from those transgender persons who are involved in bad activities,” said Mehak, a member of the community.

She said they wanted to live peacefully with other people in society.

“We do not live with those transgender individuals, who lure young people towards sex. We only share happiness with people by dancing in their functions and earning our livelihood,” said Ilyas, another transgender person.

The trans-community members said the district administration, the police and people at large should know about good and bad people, and should not count them with bad ones.

Published in Dawn, July 7th, 2022