BBC News Our World 'The best Pakistani transgender retirement home'

[FloralBunting]

Yeah, I know you've opened this expecting something ranty and cross, because the BBC are fairly shite right now.

But this is a documentary about 'third gender' people in Pakistan, and specifically looking at one third gender person setting up a retirement home, as the Pakistani culture is that families look after their elderly, and a lot of third gender people are rejected by their families.

This isn't feminism, but I've posted about it in FWR, because I'm fairly sure that this is exactly the kind of thing most of us would be fully behind supporting in a wider context. These are genuinely people without privilege, and in a culture where there is a specific need to be met.

I find it so incredibly depressing that the transgender debate has been so roundly hijacked by privileged males trying to co-opt resources and spaces meant for women that a lot of us who would be so supportive of these people in a difficult cultural situation that genuinely throws up real hardship are attacked and shouted down.

I just caught a bit of it. They glossed over the prostitution completely (at least the bit I saw). Just going to work apparently.

Also, I wonder how much is gay Vs transsexual. People who would be camp, gay, blokes are also in the same group.

And of course, women (transmen or lesbians) are non existent.

I need to watch properly on catch up.

Yes, the reporter referenced the strict patriarchal society in passing. Reference was made to the third sex prostitutes costing less than female prostitutes. I thought that was a weird comparison to make. The incidence of HIV is very high among third sex, in comparison to other groups in the population, though you were left to draw your own conclusions as to why that might be.

Seems a good idea to set up facilities like this, but it seems that as mangoes said lesbians and women do have our own separate needs,,,unlikely to get resources to do this in Pakistan, likewise in the west. I don't understand why with all the money sloshing around for Trans people, our facilities and resources are under threat. Is it only a need for validation that drives this ,plus of course the patriarchal shit?

Is it only a need for validation that drives this ,plus of course the patriarchal shit?

All that money and support - they could make such a real difference to vulnerable people.

A poster said this a while back and it's stuck with me ever since everything they touch turns to dust