A viral video of Pakistani transgender activist Hina Baloch has sparked a strong debate online after she made bold claims about sexuality in Pakistan.
In an interview with the Queer Global YouTube channel on Wednesday, 1st April, Baloch said that a large number of people in the country hide their sexual identity because of social pressure, religion, and family expectations.
"An open secret" in society
Speaking in the interview, Baloch described what she believes is a reality that people don't openly talk about. "I believe that more than half of Pakistan is quite gay, actually. They don't want to just say it out loud, but I guess 80% of Pakistan is gay and the remaining 20% are bisexual," she said. She added, "I don't think that anybody is straight in Pakistan in terms of their sexuality."
According to her, many people suppress or deny their identity due to fear of backlash. "They will deny it, they will bring religion into it, they will bring culture into it, but this is an open secret. Nobody's straight in Pakistan," she said, sharing her personal observations.
Baloch also spoke about her own journey, saying that while growing up, her biggest concern was not sexuality but expressing her gender identity. "What I was worried about was how to apply lipstick and not get lots of shit from the family for that. How do I get to dress feminine, wear jewellery and not get the beatings?" she said.
Challenges faced by the transgender community
Talking about the broader situation, Baloch highlighted the struggles faced by the khawaja sira (transgender) community in Pakistan. She said many are pushed into limited and often exploitative work like begging, dancing, or sex work due to a lack of opportunities.
Rejecting these limitations, she chose activism and went on to co-found the Sindh Moorat March. She also participated in Pakistan's Aurat March, becoming a strong voice for transgender and minority rights.
Baloch has earlier claimed that she faced violence for her activism, including being attacked after raising a Pride flag and even being kidnapped and abused. These experiences eventually forced her to leave Pakistan. She later moved to the UK, where she studied at the SOAS University of London and sought refugee status.