“80% of Pakistan is gay and the remaining 20% are bisexual,” says Pakistani Transgender Activist Hina Baloch

Hina Baloch, a transgender activist from Pakistan, has revealed what she calls an “open secret” in the country. Baloch’s recent interview with the Queer Global YouTube channel has gone viral on social media. While speaking about growing up in Karachi, she shared this so-called open secret, claiming it applies to 80% of Pakistanis. Snippets from her latest interview have left the internet on edge.

“I believe that more than half of Pakistan is quite gay, actually,” said Hina Baloch.

Baloch spoke about her struggles with exploring her gender identity rather than being concerned about her sexual identity. She added that nobody in Pakistan talks about it and described it as an “open secret,” claiming that more than half of the country is gay.

She further said, “They don’t want to say it out loud, but I guess 80% of Pakistan is gay and the remaining 20% are bisexual, so I don’t think that anybody is straight in Pakistan in terms of their sexuality.”

She stated that she does not believe anyone in Pakistan is straight and that people often avoid discussing it by bringing religious and cultural factors into the conversation. She also recalled being aware of her male cousins’ sexual relationships with each other.

She added that she was more concerned about wearing lipstick and avoiding criticism from her family. “How do I wear jewelry, dress well, and not get beaten?” Baloch said.

She further reflected on the struggles the community faces in Pakistan. The transgender community in Pakistan is faced with three options for their livelihood, which are accepted by the public. She shared that members of her community are most often pushed into begging for money, sex work, or dancing for men.

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Baloch highlighted that if a transgender person wants to pursue a white-collar job, or even a job at a school or as a waiter, they are not given the opportunity to do so.

Who is Hina Baloch?

Baloch, a Shia Muslim, belongs to Pakistan’s Khwajasara (Hijra) community. She shared details about her upbringing, describing her family as a “comparatively progressive household.”

An active voice for minority communities in Pakistan, Baloch is a co-founder of the Sindh Moorat March. She completed her master’s degree from SOAS, University of London, where she majored in Gender Studies.

Her statement about the majority of Pakistanis being gay quickly went viral, drawing reactions from netizens as well.

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