Salman's Story
For years, even to myself, I denied the possibility that I was gay. That is because I live in Pakistan, and here, queer people are subjected to social stigma and prejudice. It is quite unfortunate. Being queer is not only frowned upon in Pakistani culture and society, it is criminalized by the government. Even our worst curse words are homophobic. Despite all this, after years of denying myself that I exist, I finally started coming to terms with my sexuality after my father passed away in 2015. That was the most painful moment of my life, but it pushed me to decide that I would no longer deny to myself who I was.
Following this decision, I started being more open about my sexuality — first, in secret groups, and then in more public spaces and on social media. I have tried my best to do whatever outreach I can. I’ve worked on building a queer network in Pakistani society, and on sensitizing the public to the existence of queer people.
I currently serve as the founder and editor of Queeristan, one of Pakistan’s only running queer magazines and online spaces promoting queer culture, art, and activism. The idea for the magazine dates back to 2017 — and although we were held back by censorship issues and concerns for the safety of those associated with the project, we were finally able to begin publishing in early 2019.
For more about Salman, follow him on Facebook, or find him on Contently and Medium.
Artist Notes
Published Jan 1, 2020
Updated Aug 22, 2023