News alert: men have sex with men in Pakistan! While the net is atwitter about Mobeen Azhar’s recent BBC article  which comes across as an exposé on the country’s burgeoning underground gay scene, this is old news for most of us gaysis. Underground parties, Grindr hookups, and  “marriages of convenience” aren’t unique to Pakistan and may only be a surprise to audiences who don’t read about Pakistan beyond the headlines.

A recent Mother Jones article highlights findings from a Pew Research Center study of gay tolerance in 39 countries where Pakistan appeared as the least tolerant nation (with 2% approval). The article also notes that Pakistan also ranks “second in the world (after similarly gay-intolerant Kenya) for volume of searches for the search term ‘gay sex pics.’” Very interesting, but not surprising, and that a majority of searches orginate, not

Be sure to catch a screening of the Pakistani film “JOSH” as it plays in select East Coast cities this week. “Josh” (Against the Grain) is the story of a privileged woman whose life is shattered in a single moment as she embarks on the search for a dangerous truth. The film focuses on the biggest challenge to Pakistan’s still reigning feudalism: the country’s youth as it explores the internal

“A live singing desi drag queen will never work. The gay desi community won’t get it and you’ll be laughed off stage.” That’s what I was told even before I started my drag journey. As a teenager I had always dreamt of being a pop star. I watched the Spice Girls like an obsessive fan. I would tape their every performance on my VHS recorder and mimic their every move.

The NY Daily News has captured tender and fun moments of Transgendered Pakistanis in a beautiful slide show. The NY Daily News article shows the daily struggle they face beyond the glitz and glamor. They are invited to celebrate and participate at family events, weddings and birthdays. Yet, unfortunately, our transgendered brothers and sisters struggle everyday to gain acceptance and fight discrimination on a daily basis outside of these occasions.

The Indo-American Arts Council’s 12th Annual New York Indian Film Festival kicks off next week – May 23 – 27. This year, the film festival will feature two Pakistani films – “Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret” and Oscar winner “Saving Face” by Daniel Junge and Sharmeen Obaid- Chinoy. “Transgenders: Pakistan’s Open Secret” focuses on a segment of Karachi’s transgender community while “Saving Face”, Winner 2012 Oscar for Best Documentary Short, takes

With all of the Ground Zero mosque debates and the horrendous incidents recently in New York City, the plight of Pakistanis affected by the catastrophic floods must not be forgotten. If you are in New York City this weekend, we recommend you attend Remembering the Indus – Pakistan Relief Fundraiser at the Gershwin Hotel at 7 East 27th Street on Sunday, August 29 from 5:30 pm – 9:30 pm. The

Pakistan’s Swat Valley is suffering through the worst floods in recent memory, after going through years of Taliban rule and fighting between militants and the army. UNICEF puts the death toll at 1,500 and a Pakistani Red Crescent official told CNN that nearly 2.5 million have been affected by the floods. Because of the destroyed infrastructure in the region, aid has not been reaching the area fast enough. There are