How LGBTQI+ movements shape inclusive civic space in Pakistan

This report by ODI Global, ALIGN and the Global Philanthropy Project, demonstrates how LGBTQI+ movements have changed civic space in Pakistan, even as their participation is constrained by discriminatory social norms and narrowed opportunities to exercise political voice.

The research is based on interviews with activists who have deep experience in civil society organising. The report shows how LGBTQI+ groups entered civic space, how they influenced public discourse and state policies, and what impact they have had on creating a more open and inclusive civic space, thereby contributing to building a key pillar of democracy.

Key messages

• Despite severe constraints on engagement in civic space in Pakistan, LGBTQI+ activists have forged pathways to enter it and make it more inclusive, therefore strengthening a key pillar of democracy.
• The Khwajasira community has achieved the greatest impact over the past decade while less publicly visible LGBTQI+ activists have built networks of support that may serve as a precursor to collective action in the future.
• Key strategies movement actors use to build a more inclusive civic space include: shifting public discourse; sustaining alternative non-public spaces; and establishing formal organisations and broadening their alliances, including with feminist mobilisations.
• The report recommends that international funding organisations support LGBTQI+ activists to enter cultural spaces, build formal organisations, pursue policy reform, and widen their alliances with other movements to enable them to work sustainably and safely despite ongoing social and political backlash.