A powerful photoshoot dedicated to ending transphobia in Pakistan features the country’s first-ever transgender model.
Kami Sid works tirelessly for Pakistan’s transgender community, and her recent debut in the fashion world is for a noble cause. The powerful photoshoot is dedicated to abolishing transphobia in Pakistan and defying stereotypes.
Sid joined forces with photographer Haseeb M. Siddiqi, stylist Waqar J. Khan and makeup artist Nighat Misbah to make waves in what is being described as an “expressive, eloquent photo session.”
Brutality against the transgender community is still rampant, and Sid’s powerful photoshoot came together after violent incidents over the past year.
An ignorant, biased mindset still prevails in society, and Pakistan’s transgender community is in dire straits.
In May, 23-year-old transgender activist Alisha was denied treatment after being shot six times. She eventually died at Peshawar’s Lady Reading Hospital.
More recently, a disturbing video of a transgender woman being brutally flogged and violated surfaced along with another video of her weeping about the brutality and how the government is not taking violence against the transgender community seriously.
“Transgenders were beaten up all night. We were forced to drink their urine, we were raped, spat on our faces and when we protested we were beaten up with shoes,” she said. “Three months ago I was gang raped in Faisalabad by another gang, I was brutally raped there and after much protest in front of the media the police decided to take action but still some of the criminals are at large.”
Sid believes in putting an end to the violence and bigotry facing the transgender community. She dedicated the powerful photoshoot to overcoming the limits imposed on this community in Pakistan and beyond.
“I want to change the mindset of people in our society. So many don’t grasp what gender and sexuality are. I want to sensitize people regarding all genders,” Sid told Dawn News. “My family doesn’t support me in this endeavor but I feel people need to see us in the commercial fashion world, to create awareness. People know me as an activist, but now I can reach even more people as a model.”
Sid was featured in How Gay Is Pakistan?, a BBC documentary, and is vocal about transgender and LGBTQ rights despite the dangers that come along with this activism.
Main Image Photo Credit: www.geo.tv
Original Post Date: November 28, 2016
Nomaan Khan
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After spending some time in a completely different field, Nomaan decided to drop it all and switch to Mohawk College to pursue his longtime interest in the world of Journalism. His experience working in multimedia platforms has helped him develop exceptional skills in thinking on his feet, being ...