The LGBTQ community in Pakistan has been advocating for acceptance and, in a fresh move sought approval for the country’s first gay club in Abbottabad.
The lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning (or queer) aka the LGBTQ community has always faced challenges in Pakistan because, for such rights, there is not a lot of opposition to the law in the country.
However, recently the office of Deputy Commissioner Abbottabad has been approached for a gay club. A formal request for a No Objection Certificate (NOC) was made to establish a gay club under name of ‘Lorenzo Gay Club’ in the garrison city of Abbottabad.
Preetum Giani submitted the application in which he asked for a safe space for individuals of all gays to socialize, with strict rules against any sexual activities in the club.
Here’s what we know so far about the Abbottabad Gay Club:
The application stated that the club would constitute a great practical convenience and resource for many homosexual, bisexual, and even some heterosexual people residing in Abbottabad in particular, and in other parts of the country in general.
‘Lorenzo Gay Club’ would basically be just a venue where gay people could freely meet, converse with, and share light refreshments with other gay people.
The club would not be a place to engage in gay or non-gay sex other than kissing.
As per the applicant, asking for such a club in Pakistan is a matter of the basic human right of free association, enshrined in the country’s constitution.
Since the application has gone viral on social media and became a trending topic in no time, it has sparked new debate online, as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region is known for being conservative tradition.
However, DC Abbottabad office has not yet responded to the application, leaving the decision on this matter uncertain.
LGBT rights in Pakistan
Because Pakistan is officially an Islamic Republic, it is a crime to participate in homosexual acts under Section 377. Moreover, homosexuality is also thought of as a taboo vice in Pakistan.
Keeping aside the ‘Islamic Republic’ from Pakistan, in reality, the country is quite secular. The LGBT community can socialize, organize, date, and even live together as couples, but they have to mostly do it in secret.
