Pakistan held a sports day for trans people and the photos are amazing

Celebrating at Pakistan’s Transgender People Sports Festival. | Photo: TransAction Pakistan

Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) region has a very complicated relationship with its trans community.

It’s where the most violent murders of trans women have happened – 57 in the past three years alone. But it’s also the scene of some positive steps forward.

Earlier this year, local police taught 15 trans women to drive and issued them with licences in their true gender. Last month, the region opened the first school in Pakistan for trans students.

But on Tuesday (15 May) it held a fun sports day for the community in the region’s capital city, Peshawar. The first ever Transgender People Sports Festival was held at the Arbab Niaz Cricket Stadium.

A sports festival was organized in #Peshawar to highlight and acknowledge the #transgender community in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. A notable number of members from the community took part in the festivities. pic.twitter.com/yzjftfCn3J

— Govt of Pakistan (@pid_gov) 16 May 2018

Local council member, Naumanul Haq, spearheaded and funded the event which featured sports such as; archery, cricket, badminton, potato sack racing, musical chairs, soccer and tug of war.

KP’s Director General Sports Junaid Khan was on hand to give out trophies to winning players and teams.

Pakistan First ever Transgender Sports Festival being held in Peshawar.Such steps will proves fruitful in vanishing the trans phobia.I would really like to appreciate the efforts of organizers especially @naumanulhaqkhan.. pic.twitter.com/ypyLTJtjLk

— Utmanzai Pukhtana (@Upashtana7) 16 May 2018

The aim of the sports day was to promote better awareness of the trans community and to help end transphobia.

TransAction Pakistan, a prominent advocacy group, simply described the day as ‘happiness is sports’.

Things are looking up for the trans community as Pakistan recently passed a Transgender Bill of Rights which will increase the equality of trans people across the country.