Structural Displacement of Pakistani Gay Men: Intersections of Theology, Sexuality, and State Power

Description

Page: 1130-1132

Atri Das (Consultant Psychologist, Speak it Out Clinic, Kolkata, West Bengal, India)

Islamic theological discourse has traditionally positioned non-heteronormative sexualities as morally deviant and religiously impermissible. Yet, sexuality as a universal and embodied force resists suppression. This paper explores the intersectional conflict experienced by gay men in Pakistan, where religious orthodoxy, heteropatriarchal norms, and state-sanctioned legal frameworks converge to marginalize queer existence. Through a critical review of interdisciplinary literature, this work deconstructs hegemonic heterosexuality and examines the socio-political, psychological, and legal structures that shape and constrain the identity, mental health, social mobility, and self-concept of Pakistani gay men. By centering lived experience within systems of oppression, this paper highlights the urgent need for inclusive policy reform and a deeper interrogation of the theological narratives that continue to render queer lives invisible within the Islamic nation-state.