PAKISTAN: Gay culture is thriving in this traditional society, writes Declan Walsh, as the authorities simply look the other way
A ban on kite-flying failed to dampen the spirits of partygoers in Lahore at the weekend, where hundreds of parties took place to celebrate the age-old Basant festival. But one gathering stood out.
Under a starry sky filled with fireworks, about 150 gay men clambered to the roof of an apartment building for an exuberant party. Bollywood music spilled into the streets as dress-wearing queens twisted and whirled flamboyantly. Some older men with moustaches and wearing traditional shalwar kameez stared silently from the sidelines. Most of the partygoers were in their 20s, dressed in jeans and T-shirts and looking for a good time. "We just want to have fun," said one of the organisers, known as the "hot boyz".
Homosexuality is taboo in Pakistani society, where sexual orientation is rarely discussed and the gay rights debate is non-existent. Sodomy is punishable by up to life in jail and religious leaders condemn gay men as an aberration of western corruption.
When President Pervez Musharraf boasted of empowering minorities during a press conference with George Bush in Islamabad 10 days ago, he was unlikely to have been referring to gay emancipation.
Yet many homosexuals say their community is quietly thriving, often with the tacit acceptance of a society that prefers to look the other way. Assaults on gay men are rare. The sodomy laws are rarely invoked.
Communities of Hijra - a transsexual group with roots that stretch back to the Mughal empire - are found in all major cities.
"In a bizarre way homosexuality is condemned but not opposed," said a gay man from Karachi. "There is an indulgence here, a cultural ability to live and let live."
The issue also has little political capital. When Urdu-language newspapers accused a former chief minister of Sindh province of being a cross-dresser two years ago, the storm quickly blew over and the politician kept his job. The apparent open-mindedness is at odds with Pakistan's austere and socially conservative image abroad. Last year Punjabi authorities briefly banned female participants in marathon races, while sex outside marriage between men and women is punishable by death.
Cultural factors offer one explanation - gay men can easily camouflage their relationships because public displays of affection between men, such as holding hands, are widely accepted. Nevertheless homosexuality, like anything related to sex, is practised with great discretion. Internet chat rooms provide a safe and anonymous forum for middle- and upper-class gay men. Cohabiting couples are rare and most gay men still marry to avoid scandalising their families.
Many Pakistanis ignore their existence, seeing homosexuality as an abhorrent, western practice. "It is not allowed in Islam and is surely against the laws of nature; it is one of the signs of the end of the world," a contributor to a BBC Online debate wrote.
Unlike vocal gay rights activists in western countries, many Pakistani gay men feel that the lack of debate suits them. "If we were being actively persecuted then we might fight in public," said a gay man in Islamabad. "But you don't want to pick a fight you can't win." - (Guardian service)