LGBTQ+ Afghans Go Into Hiding

After the hectic withdrawal from US troops from Afghanistan, many feel that their lives are in danger. Laila, a transgender woman in Afghanistan, told the Guardian that she feels terrified. She does not feel safe and is scared of the Taliban.

Laila fears that they will know who she is when they see her and harm her physically. 

There have been rumours that Taliban officials lure gay men into meeting them by claiming they can help them escape from Afghanistan. The fear and panic have spread across the country’s gay community, and many have gone into hiding. 

The LGBTQ+ community lives in fear and hiding. They fear that extremists are tracing them to persecute or kill them. The Taliban’s new cabinet is comprised only of men, and some have already been accused of crimes against humanity. 

There are still scores of LGBTQ Afghans who need urgent evacuations.

And there is still time to save their lives.

We must all work together to find safe passage for those in our community who need to leave Afghanistan.https://t.co/PdUMUMH7zg

— Immigration Equality (@IEquality) September 1, 2021

The Taliban have been reported to carry out door-to-door searches to identify anyone they categorize as a threat to their “Islamic emirate”. Many of the LGBTQ+ community now find themselves changing their identity and shifting locations to protect themselves and their families and friends. 

Some transgender women are growing beards. Some lesbians feel pressured to act “more feminine”. 

Sunita, a lesbian, has said that she no longer can pretend to be a bacha posh. Bacha posh were previously able to maintain their identity. A family without sons will choose a girl to live with and behave like a boy, which allows them to move around freely. Sunita continued, saying, “If they found out that I am a girl and lesbian it will make them angry. I am also Hazara (a minority Shia Muslim), so it’s even more difficult for me. They can rape and kill me.”

Afghan LGBTQ+ activist now living in the US, Nemat Sadat, said “The Taliban are going to have no mercy on LGBT people when they fully implement sharia law, and this scares the daylights out of the community.” 

Up Next, Afghan Women Protest Against the Taliban Via Social Media