Tuesday, January 10, 2017

I Don’t Know If I Would Do It

If the census asked if you are trans would you say yes?

Well that is what they are doing in Pakistan,
Transgender population to be counted in population census for first time
Dawn
By Tauqir Ghumman
January 8, 2017

For the first time in the history of Pakistan, the country's transgender community will be included in the national population census.

The Lahore High Court on Monday instructed the federal government, National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) and the interior ministry to include the transgender community in the census while hearing a petition filed by a transgender individual Waqar Ali in November 2016.

Ali in his petition had called for the enforcement of the community’s fundamental rights, including enrolment in the upcoming census and issuance of national identity cards specifying their gender.

A deputy attorney general from the federal government was present in court during the hearing and assured the court that the transgender community will indeed be part of the upcoming census.
I know I would be leery in a country like Pakistan where if the winds blow the other way the list might be used to oppress us.

While here in the U.S. I would have listed myself as trans on the census but now after November I would have to think about it.

What about you?

1 comment:

  1. Oh, this is a tricky one. We remember what was done with lists in our stories past. After the storming and ransacking of the Institute for Sexual Science founded in 1919 during the progressive social reforms of the Weimar period, employees were arrested and lists of supporters and patients were confiscated (part of the “pink lists”) and the books and papers of the Institute burned. The Institute was stormed on May 6, 1933 an on May 10, 1933 just months after Hitler was appointed chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933 the books were burned in the street. We know how the story ended for many of our people.

    Now comes today. Will it be a fool hardy thing to continue our work under the new regime of Trump and his fellow travelers? Will we too be put on lists and will we be forced underground? If any seizing goes on who will they seize first mainstream Gay INC. folks or the people working for a unified united front with others who are opposed to this regime? Who will escape and go into exile, as the moneyed class has always been able to do thinking of themselves as more important than us in the trenches?

    What is the way forward, thinking of only ourselves and working to pass legislation for only us or working with others to stop all attacks on any who are targets? One issue movements and not building a united front has never worked in times such as this. As Harry said, “A law is a law, on the books today taken off the books tomorrow.” Will it come down to its better to shut our mouths, go about our business and look the other way, saying, “We didn’t know or what does that cause have to do with me?”

    In all my years of being an activist and living under the horrible men who have been leaders in this country, in all my years of fighting back, I have many times thought about a period of ourstories such as this. Now it is here or the protentional is here I really don’t know what I will do. I do know one thing as long as I am able or permitted I will continue publishing on Furbirdsqueerly any and all things against this new regime, I will continue to write against it and published others writing. I will continue to work with groups who are also opposed and who have a vision of a united front against fascist tendencies in amerikkka. But to others let me say, “Make hay while the sun shines cause baby those dark clouds are rolling in.

    P.S Diana I am sure we are already on their lists as sneaky is their middle name.

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