Pakistani transgender activist Hina Baloch claimed in a viral video that “80% of Pakistanis are gay,” calling it an “open secret” hidden by social and religious pressures.
A viral video featuring Pakistani transgender activist Hina Baloch has triggered widespread debate after she claimed that “80% of Pakistan is gay and the remaining 20% are bisexual,” arguing that sexuality in the country is largely hidden due to social pressure, religion, and family honour.
In an interview with Queer Global YouTube Channel, Baloch describes what she calls an “open secret” in Pakistani society. “I believe that more than half of Pakistan is quite gay actually. They don’t want to just say it out loud, but I guess 80% of Pakistan is gay and the remaining 20% are bisexuals, so I don’t think that anybody is straight in Pakistan in terms of their sexuality,” she says.
She adds that people often deny or conceal their sexual orientation, citing cultural and religious factors. “They will deny it, they will bring religion into it, they will bring culture into it, but this is an open secret. Nobody’s straight in Pakistan,” Baloch says, while recounting her own perceptions growing up.
Reflecting on her personal experiences, Baloch says her concerns were less about sexuality and more about gender expression. “What I was worried about was how to apply lipstick and not get lots of shit from the family for that. How do I get to dress feminine, wear jewellery and not get the beatings?” she says.
Baloch also speaks about the structural challenges faced by the khawaja sira community in Pakistan, noting that many are pushed into limited and often exploitative livelihoods such as begging, dancing, or sex work. Rejecting these constraints, she became actively involved in organising for gender and minority rights.
She went on to co-found Sindh Moorat March and participated in Pakistan’s Aurat March, positioning herself as a vocal advocate for transgender and minority rights. Baloch has previously said she faced violent retaliation after raising a Pride flag at a protest and survived kidnapping and abuse by law enforcement, experiences that ultimately forced her to leave Pakistan. She later secured a scholarship to SOAS, University of London, and sought refugee status in the United Kingdom.
