Gay and Transgender People Face Fear and Violence in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan
Following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in August, Laila, a transgender woman, is living in constant fear. “I am terrified,” she says, wiping away her tears. “It’s like a nightmare. I don’t feel safe even in my room.” The return of the Taliban has escalated the already grave threats faced by LGBTQ+ individuals in Afghanistan, making their survival more precarious than ever before.
For many, like Rehmat, a gay man, the situation is dire: “Our lives are in danger. We are afraid of having mobile phones.” The mere act of receiving a call from an unknown number sparks immediate panic, with the possibility that it could be the Taliban seeking to track them down. Rumors are circulating that the Taliban have been reaching out to gay men via social media, promising escape routes, only to deceive them into meetings where they face the risk of being captured, tortured, or killed.
This heightened fear follows the formation of the Taliban’s new cabinet, which is comprised solely of men, some accused of crimes against humanity. A key position within this cabinet is the minister of guidance, who leads the religious police, formerly known as the ministry for the promotion of virtue and punishment of vice. This signifies an even greater threat to marginalized groups, particularly LGBTQ+ individuals.
Many members of the LGBTQ+ community are being forced to go into hiding, constantly relocating and changing their identities to evade Taliban detection. Some transgender women have resorted to growing beards, while lesbians like Sunita, a Hazara woman, feel immense pressure to present themselves as more feminine. Sunita, who identifies as a lesbian, is deeply concerned about the increased risks to her safety: “If the Taliban found out that I am a girl and lesbian, it will make them angry. I am also a Hazara, so it’s even more difficult for me. They can rape and kill me.”
The fear among LGBTQ+ individuals is palpable as the Taliban continues its door-to-door searches, hunting down anyone they deem a threat to their Islamic emirate. LGBTQ+ Afghans are now forced to navigate a life filled with constant anxiety, hiding from the very people who are supposed to provide protection.
