“I can’t breathe if I don’t help and stay connected to my community. We are one body and different members and communities represent different body parts. I expect if there is pain in one part, the whole body would feel that pain.” – Jannat Ali, trans rights activist, Executive Director of Track-T
Jannat Ali, a dedicated advocate for trans rights in Pakistan, serves as the driving force behind Track-T, a community-led organization headquartered in Lahore. Track-T focuses on artivism (art + activism), trans rights awareness, and advocacy related to sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). Since its establishment in 2017, Track-T has been at the forefront of challenging stereotypes and combating the stigma and discrimination faced by the transgender community in Pakistan.
Track-T’s notable achievements include founding two chapters of Trans Pride in Pakistan, becoming a member of InterPride, and actively participating in the Steering Committee that presented the Trans Rights Bill, which was enacted into law in 2018. The organization is also associated with various local and international platforms, such as the Women Peace Council Punjab, Election Commission Pakistan, and the Dignity Network Canada Advisory Board.
Providing Wraparound Support for the Trans Community in Pakistan
The services provided by Track-T are comprehensive and multifaceted. They empower low-income transgender individuals through financial, and institutional support. They also collaborate with other organizations to improve the well-being of transgender persons, and advocate for social justice. Additionally, Track-T works to build the capacity of transgender individuals to meet current and future challenges, with the vision of strengthening and sustaining the trans activism and Pride Movement in Pakistan.
Track-T and Rainbow Railroad have shared panels at various human rights conferences. In 2022, both organizations decided to maintain regular contact and share updates..
Track-T’s partnership with Rainbow Railroad, spanning from January 2024 to May 2024, has helped to sustain Track-T’s work during challenging times. Through this collaboration, Track-T provided drop-in services focusing on safety and security, distributed basic needs like food packages, offered mental health services, and conducted press conferences and protests.
A Challenging Landscape for Activism
The advocacy work carried out by Jannat Ali and Track-T is fraught with many challenges. This is due to limited resources and increasing transphobia and gender-based violence in Pakistan. The Federal Shariat Court’s 2022 ruling against the Transgender Persons Act, 2018, impacted organizations like Track-T. This legislative change has left transgender individuals vulnerable to increased violence, abuse, and discrimination. Since 2015, 75 transgender people have been murdered, and 1,500 have been sexually assaulted in Pakistan. In 2018 alone, there were over 500 incidents of violence against transgender individuals in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.
The hostile environment has created significant barriers to employment, and contributed to an escalation in the cost of living for trans people in Pakistan.. For Jannat Ali personally, as the first transgender lecturer at the University of Management and Technology, she faced significant backlash. Despite positive feedback for her teaching, the anti-trans movement endangered her life and led to the non-renewal of her job contract..
The adversity extended beyond professional setbacks. Jannat’s social media platforms, critical for her advocacy work, were targeted. Her YouTube channel “Journey with Jannat” was hacked, and her Instagram account faced multiple hacking attempts, aimed at silencing her voice and pressuring her to cease her activism. After persistent efforts, Jannat regained control of her YouTube account.
Threatening calls demanded the closure of Track-T’s office, further endangering their work and safety.
Eventually, threats to her life forced her to flee Pakistan and relocate to Canada with the support of Rainbow Railroad.
Despite these challenges, Jannat remains steadfast in her commitment to her community. She is working tirelessly to create safe spaces and provide support to those in need.
Looking Ahead in the Ongoing Fight for Trans Equality in Pakistan
Looking ahead, Jannat’s hopes and dreams for Track-T and the communities they serve are focused on protecting the lives of LGBTQI+ individuals facing persecution in Pakistan. She emphasizes the importance of never losing hope, “and continuing to fight for our rights and dignity.”
In her message to the Pakistani government, Jannat calls for action against homophobia and transphobia. She states, “The trans community has been exploited for superficial gestures like photo ops. It’s imperative for the government to issue a strong statement and take decisive measures against homophobia and transphobia.”
To those who support Rainbow Railroad, Jannat expresses deep gratitude. She highlights how their support has been crucial in protecting lives and enabling ongoing advocacy and community support.
For Jannat, the queer community is akin to oxygen—essential and life-sustaining. She says, “I can’t breathe if I don’t help and stay connected to my community”.
Queering the system involves recognizing the interconnectedness of the community and feeling the collective pain and struggle.
“We are one body and different members and communities represent different body parts. I expect if there is pain in one part, the whole body would feel that pain.”
Rainbow Railroad provides direct capacity building and livelihood support to human rights defenders, organizations and collectives in countries where people are displaced. This Trans Awareness Week, we’re asking our community to step up in support of trans people around the world. Help us provide support to more trans refugees and asylum seekers here.