A Pakistani man, who attempted to establish the country’s first gay club, has been sent to a mental hospital. The man, whose identity remains undisclosed, submitted an application to create the club in Abbottabad.
In his application, he described the club, which he proposed to name Lorenzo, as a “great convenience and resource for many homosexual, bisexual, and even some heterosexual people” in Abbottabad and beyond.
However, Pakistan’s laws criminalize gay sex, with penalties including up to two years in prison.
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On May 9, following severe public and political backlash, the man was transferred to the Sarhad Hospital for Psychiatric Diseases in Peshawar. The leader of the conservative Jamiat Ulema Islam (JUI) party suggested that the man’s time in the UK influenced his actions.
An MP from the far-right Pakistan Awami Tehreek party even threatened to burn the club down, while the party’s leader, Naseer Khan Nazir, warned of severe consequences if the club were established.
Friends of the man expressed fear for his safety, noting they had been unable to visit him or obtain information about his condition. One friend mentioned the widespread fear that discussing the issue might endanger them.
Before his hospitalization, the man spoke about his commitment to human rights, particularly for the LGBTQ+ community in Pakistan. He expressed a desire to challenge the authorities’ decisions in court, hoping for a ruling in favor of gay rights similar to that of the Indian judiciary.
The application for the club explicitly stated there would be “no gay (or non-gay) sex (other than kissing)” on the premises.
