During my first trip to Pakistan in 2006, I found the country teeming with homosexuals. In the 20-hours long bus journey from Lahore to Karachi, a bearded missionary of Tablighi Jamat, an Islamic movement that advocates extreme austerity, advised me to convert to his religion. I politely nodded at his persuasions but was forced to vigorously shake my head when his hand started caressing my thighs. The massage was relaxing but the vibes were clearly sexual.
Later while strolling in the early evening heat of Karachi's Clifton Beach, a charming kulfi seller got fixated on me. He promised to show me the "real" Karachi. I would have been game if not for his tendency to hold my arms a little longer than usual. Even that would have been fine, but the pressing and rubbing was just too disconcerting.
These were just few of the queer moments of my Pakistan excursion. While returning back to Lahore on the Allama Iqbal Express train, a Bahawalpur trader suddenly confessed in the midst of our Musharraf conversations that he liked sleeping with boys! The ultimate was when an old Karachi Pathan, with kohl-lined eyes, escorted me to a seedy shop at Saddar Market and offered the pirated DVD of Brokeback Mountain at bargain rates. (I bought it!)
Such experiences in Allah's own country appear unreal. After all, the website of the International Lesbian and Gay Association quotes the Pakistan embassy in Hague making it clear that "the homosexual is not accepted as a decent individual, and homosexual acts constitute an offense punishable with imprisonment for life or with imprisonment of either description for a term which may extend to ten years."
Indeed it is difficult to conceive Pakistan as a place where individuals could be free to celebrate sex, and different sexual orientations. But that is what everyone seems to do. In his 2004 essay, appropriately titled The East is Blue, Sir Salman Rushdie claimed that more than 60 percent of Internet users in Pakistan visit porn sites. Unfortunately we do not have figures of Pakistanis who access gay porn sites.
A few years back a news story in the Boston Globe concluded that across all classes and social groups in Pakistan, men have sex with men. "In villages throughout the country, young boys are often forcibly 'taken' by older men, starting a cycle of abuse and revenge that social activists and observers say is the common pattern of homosexual sex in Pakistan," the newspaper reported.
Article comments
1 - aisha
You have clearly mistaken the culture. I'm a western person and I've come to understand that the relationships are different than a westerner's behavior but it doesn't mean anything at all. You should feel sad that you've grouped a bunch of people into this category.
2 - Vaqar
You have tried to damage the the image of muslims so badly.Each and every place has good and bad communities. so how can u splash mud only on muslims.In Islam There are rules which are faithfully obbeyed by muslims of pakistan.But what about westeren countries who have no rules to control this MISUSE of a man itself................So Bad of you to give so dirty impact to world about Islam n Muslims
3 - MZ
Aisha, it's true that locals behave more intimately than Westerners but that doesn't mean this author's understanding is false. I'm familiar enough with Pakistani come-ons and what they can lead to; obviously you aren't! I'm sorry that you have excluded the truth out of a desire to be objective.
Vaqar, the author said nothing derogatory: he simply pointed out the apparent contradictions between the proclamations and reality. Nothing more. Only a Muslim would think such an article damages the image of Muslims...and since most Muslims believe such a thing wouldn't happen (or that you're not a Muslim if you're gay) there shouldn't be much of an issue, lol! That said, there are many, many people who continue to try reconciling their faith and sexuality - and only God has the right to judge their position and behaviour, not humans.
Let's face it, Islamic societies have abused humanity in the name of religion as much as any other - and at least "western" societies have many more rules that attempt to control the misuse of man than we put into practice locally.
4 - Umar FarooK
Thts very much true , Pakistan is under great influence of GAY, In early 90's it used to heard as the Way of Villagers or the Act's of Pathans but now from every walk of life,one can find GAY sex very easily. I have witnessed Lads of elite class and moderen branded shcools are GAY, one can find the reading very easy by seeing the moods and trends of these cute lads. I have seen Gay orientations more then others, I agree with the studies that mostly pakistani visits porn site and mostly gay. I have seen GAY CHAT on every channel I joined on internat chat, where Pakis are in good numbers. From Karachi to islamabad there are many places where one can find GAY CD's Openly.
I have had seen GAY from a labour to working class from all ages .These new trends derived of the recent invasions of Internet in pakistan, I challange you to explore Orkut only & see how much of Pakis are listed as GAY.
In short I must admit here my orientations are GAY as well
Umar FarooQ
MBA, 30 Years
Lahore Pakistan
5 - Robin
Are you a gay too?
6 - INTENTIONS
lol! after hearing your comments about pakistanis, i will say u must go and ask them if there are some. well i m an engineering student and i ve been observing everyone in my university and my society, i have nt seen or heard any of my friends having sex with each other. all of them are searching and running behind girls.
in my four years in university i ve heard only one case of gays in about 60 departments in a place like peshawar NWFP(about 30 thousand students) . although there were some of our kolleagues who liked lads but they never tried to touch them or had sex with them.
one thing more, we sometimes with our very close friends will play like gays like slap on butt but we never ever tried to have sex or had any intention of sex. this is only what we do to tease each other or for fun. Believe me in these four years i ve been sleeping with boys in our rooms but i dont remember that it come into our mind that we should have sex.
one day we were sitting and laughing about this fact that if some one saw these actions he will definitely say that these are gays.
some of our classfellows from somalia,sudan and yamen said that when we first arrived in pakistan and when we saw this culture like standing together and putting their hands on shoulders of each other, we thought that almost all of these are gays and we were very scared. but when time passed we came to know that they were not gays.
me and my friends are a group of about 9 ppl. in exams, v used to sleep three ppl in one single bed so tightly that even u could not change your side,still we never had sex or felt anything like that about the each other guy.
this group of us, no will mind anything. like one of those i enjoy his company the most. i usually invite him to my room with these words. "where the f*** were u, i was feeling very hot. come spend a night with me in my bed, i ve brought some new lubricants."
but he knows that i m only joking and wanna spend sometime with him. he will answer like this " no.no u r not good sexually, u could nt satisfy me last time. more over ur p**** is very small."
about rapes, is there single country or region where there are no rapes?????? (rape:forceful sex whether gay or boy/girl or lesbian...)
well i dont say that there is no gay culture. but not upto that extent which this article described. according to this article, about 90% of them are gays. but i m saying no not more than 15% will be gays. and if they are they will be the uneducated category, like bus drivers,taxidrivers. etc
and if the author say he was massaging him and he felt very good. ooooooo there is some thing fishy fishy in the person who is thinking .....
afterall , i ll say. like islam say.
all of the actions depends upon the INTENTIONS of the person doing it.
i mean to say its all about attitude.
so who is the real thief........
7 - Pakistani Guy
OMG!!!!
You are really mistaken, those people wanted to be your friend!!!!
You must have seen that there cocks were not standing!!
8 - Muhammad Tariq
You hve a little experianc on the topic of gay culture in pakista.This true hat in most areas of pakistan people like homeosexual activity because of solid reason,Firstly in NWFP the people are poor and they cant make marriage with a girl of their high price/cost of 3 hundred rupees equal to 5000 US dollar.where in punjab the situation is different the father or the parents have no such a huge money to make their doughter wedding in punjab the man family demand for much gold and other household things which is ubearable.as well as in Sindh like the pnjaab Provice, where Balochista has different way they sell their doughters and there is also a costum like Punjab.so, a young ma satisfy their sexuality to hire gay for 100 to 1000 rupees for just 5 to 10 minutes.
this is true that this gay activity also forbiden in pakistan but the Government have nt taken steps agisnt the basic corruption of wedding.
in social community this rare but in religious Schools the gay activity is on top. The Head teacher lik mulana of th school focible agree the children to have sex first with them and then this teacher suply this boy to another Maulanas.
Maulana Fazal Rahman has a vry cute boy for sex in Dera Ismail khan.Trruely speaking Maulanas have pretty gays in their religious schools(DEENI MADRISA). The Government is awared of these activities but Government doesnt do ny thing.whre for a common people it is forbiden and may be he will kep in prison fo 10 years.But Maulana i Madrisa fuck thei children in not only in madrisa but also fuck them in Masjid(Mosque).
Every Member of MMA enjoyed pretty and creamy boy of tajikistan and other central asian boy brought to them by Maulana of central Asian.
I would request to u that please come again o pakistn especilly NWFP province and reserch for your site.
Peope who are dennying or aing their comments as this thing I mean gay sex is not in pakistan are wrong and they also pretnding.
thanx a lot.
Muhammad Tariq ,
BANNU, NWFP, Pakistan.
9 - ali hassan
i agree wid all da studies but remember its not pakistan only but everywhere in da world ppl r more expressive than before,i live in multan.im 30 yrs old ,[Personal contact info deleted] im a decent goodlooking bottem......Ali
10 - ahmad
im from UAE, and our driver is from Pakistan, before i was just dreaming of him, now, (1month ago) it has come true, we had sex... i love it, im 18yo emirati, and descreet, i just love it
11 - ahmad
i think some pakistani are hot...
12 - Arsal
I think this is a very well written article, and coming from a Pakistani Muslim, that says a lot. Homosexuality isn't a separate phenomenon here, it's only sort-of like a natural part of our lives that almost all of us go through.
There are a lot of people who don't support homosexuality (including myself) but turning a blind eye to the reality won't help end it. And the reality is that men do sleep with men here, too, just for different reasons than in the West. It might not be 'homosexuality' in its true self, but it is two men making love. And that can happen quite easily.
It's also particularly common within teenagers these days, but those are the exact people who grow out of it and turn up straight in the end.
13 - rahkee
I find myself attracted to Pakistan men.My lover is from pakistan. He is so hot.We have been to gether since 1995. He even left his wife from an arranged marrage. But till this day he will till you he is not gay. I am a top. My lover is so passionate. At one time I use to f*** him 3 to 4 times everyday.He is a lot of fun.And to add to his high sex drive he is strikingly good looking.I use to tell him he should be a model.Any way i think if I want to Pakistan i would be in trouble.I am a black american.I mean no disrepect to my Pakisan brothers but I love you guys.
14 - ayub
i m very disappointed by this bitter reality. But now question arrises wt we have to do? I think that we can get rid from this fatal problem by helping the sex spreader by money and giveing them proper jobs. And i m sure that they will leave this sex by getting the good source of money. and 0ther informations [Personal contact info deleted]
15 - danish
sab lonse baz he pakistan main
16 - fraz
i like almost
17 - SHAHBAZ
WELL I AM DOING ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING FROM NED UNIVERSITY KARACHI,MY NAME IS SHAHBAZ,AS FAR AS I THINK ABOUT THAT ARTICLE IT IS NOT MORE THAN TO ABUSE PAKISTANI CULTURE SOME FUCKING GUY SAID THAT HE EXPERIENCED SOME..........!AND SHOULD WE HAVE TO BELEIVE HIM?WHO THE FUCK HE IS TO BLAME US?GOOD AND EVILS ARE EVERY WHERE BUT IT DOESNT MEAN THAT OUR CULTRE HAS EXPIRED,IN OUR UNIVERSITY NO SUCH CASE HAVE BEEN REPORTED YET ALTHOUGH THERE ARE THOUSANDS OF MALES THERE ALL SEARCHING AND RUNNING FOR GIRLS,THEY ALL WANT ONLY GIRLS BUT FRIENDS CAN BE BOTH GIRLS AND GUYS,SO THIS ALL WRITTEN IS RUBBISHED AND UNAUTHENTIC,WE ARE NOT "GAY"!SHAHHBAZ!
18 - foreinger
i will tell u on thing all pakistani is gay becouse ur closen girls socity what u went ur boy to do he has feeling then he will go by rong way...did u ask ur self pakistanies if some one do sex with ur sister or doughter u become angree but if he did with ur son or brother ur normal..this thing never sstop untill u give the girl thier freedom.all u will be gays
19 - Noel
Hi I am filipino staying here in al-ain uae. This is very true because I am having a relationship with a pakistani guy from here also but roots from lahore. I just love him. We have been together now for a year and a half. He is so sweet and very very lovable. I just fall from him. When it comes to sex,THE BEST SEX I EVER HAD AND STILL HAVING!!!!!!! NO ONE COMES CLOSE TO THIS!!! [Personal contact info deleted]
20 - Jet
Due to the comments policy of this site, I'm not going to give my opinion of the author's motives or his intelligence.
however someone should delete that phone number... assuming it's genuine
21 - dave
i think you all read to much into it why does it matter who you love and like life is to short
22 - roshan
I think it is very true that Pakistani boys love have sex with guys.I never had difficulty in approaching a paki and there was never a time when i was refused...most of them are top and they love bottom...it would be worth to mention that some of them are also a very good lover. Thanks for them or else what would happen to the gays of UAE