Pakistani transgenders get a voice, thanks to this amazing photoshoot

Acceptance is one of the major problems transgenders face. This photoshoot hopes to change that. Photo courtesy: Facebook/ haseebsiddiquiphoto

"Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life", Pablo Picasso once said. And rightly so. What else is capable of grasping the oddities of life and transforming it into a message worth pondering over?  This work of art in particular is not a mere visual treat, but a celebration of beauty, which is otherwise hidden from the naked human eye. A photoshoot of Pakistan's first trans model and activist Kami Sid is breaking the Internet for all the right reasons. And it's not just the Pakistani media that is going gaga over it.

Karachi-based stylist Waqar J. Khan, photographer Haseeb M. Siddiqui, and make-up artist Nighat Misbah joined hands for a photoshoot, and a very impactful one at that--featuring Sid.

Violence towards transgenders is a common occurrence in Pakistan and India, but it hardly makes it to the stats reported. Thus, in order to raise awareness regarding transphobia, this talented lot of artists came up with the idea of a photoshoot.

This photoshoot of Pakistan's first trans model and activist Kami Sid is breaking the Internet for all the right reasons. Photo courtesy: Haseeb M. Siddiqui

In 2012, National Database & Registration Authority (NADRA), Pakistan, created a third gender in their database to accommodate all transgenders. That, however, has not been able to curb growing violence against the community. According to a report published by Express Tribune, a transgender woman was shot at multiple times and then denied treatment in the hospital in May. Unfortunately, this is one of the many cases reported this year.

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When got in touch with Siddiqui, who was the photographer on the assignment, he told us: "Going by the statistics, 45 transgenders were killed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) alone, last year. And that made me feel awful. The idea was to bring a positive change in the society and that prompted me to take it up. In fact, I feel absolutely honoured to be a part of it."

It's time to look past individual differences and accept people for who they are. Photo courtesy: Haseeb M. Siddiqui

Given that we don't live in a very progressive society, acceptance is one of the major problems the community faces every day of their lives. And Siddiqui agrees. "To be honest, I was a little apprehensive about this project at first. But I realized that it was an amazing opportunity for me to contribute towards as we usually don't talk about the issue openly. Transgenders are as human as us. They deserve equal rights. But, surely we are heading towards progress and the photoshoot was reflective of that", he said.

The novelty of it has left many pleasantly surprised and we asked Siddiqui whether the photoshoot will create any waves. "I look at this photoshoot as an initiative to empower transgenders. It's high time we put an end to transphobia--not just in Pakistan, but globally. The community is often looked down upon and stereotyped. So, we intend to give that rusted image a makeover. They must not be restrained from entering any field of work", he continued.

Sid's photoshoot is a breakthrough and we hope it does create waves. Photo courtesy: Haseeb M. Siddiqui

We agree. It's time to look past individual differences and accept people for who they are. However, it's not going to be easy reforming that age-old model of thought. But, that does not bother Siddiqui. "I believe a section of people would be lashing out at me. You see, lack of acceptance is what corrodes minds and they just don't want to face the reality. People say all sorts of things, however, the overall response has been phenomenal", concluded the photographer.   

Well, cheers to that! Sid's photoshoot is a breakthrough and we hope it does pave way for a trend that focuses on the betterment of the transgender community.

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