A call was received by a young girl: “Hey, it’s me. See where I am standing now, at the airport checking in for the flight to the US all sponsored by the US Embassy”. Call ends.
Aradhiya Khan is a name given to a 22y/o transgender woman by her Guardian (Guru) — she puts her phone in her pocket and moves towards the custom.
i met her two weeks ago; she was recognizable even with the mask by her 6ft evident height and her walk. I found her comfortable yet conscious of being social as she said, “People point fingers at me, move their children away even just their eyes make me anxious”.
She said her experiences haunt her subconsciously; her childhood was like a dark tunnel. Aradhiya’s parents used to dress her like a boy, but as she says, they can change her attire, but they couldn’t change her soul, as you can’t kill the feelings which you have in your heart no matter how hard you try.
She mentioned she was an intelligent and popular student, but when puberty hit, she became curious yet confused by the changes in her body, as Aradhiya didn’t know about her true identity then.
She shared that when she got sexually abused in school. She complained to her principal, but he blamed her and said ‘Aese thumak k chalogay toh yehi hoga’, it’s all because of you, but her friends took a stand for her and stayed together even after school until they got to know about Ms. Khan’s true identity…
Her mother used to tie her with Dupatta, as people used to call her hill jull and bully her, so she was forced to be caged up. “Taking pills at the age of 16 was normal,” Aradhiya said. She quit her education after 12th as it was tough to go in public and hide her true self.
In 2018, she did a job under gender-inclusive programs in two different restaurants but they didn’t last because of her identity. She had faced criticism from customers and management. “This isn’t for you go to your community wear jewels, dance and beg on the streets”, her manager said and later used to call her for sexual favours.
Aradhiya started to attend workshops with her brother about Sexual awareness and identity…Later, Miss Khan started to work with NGOs. She worked under the transgender support program with Akhuwat Foundation. Where she got more on-ground reality about problems of the transgender community. She helped many cultural sisters by providing shelter, medicines, and proper food with Akhuwat Foundation.
Aradhiya Khan became the 1st transgender in the co-operate sector as a white-collar in Unilever. Currently, she is working for employment in the Trans-community.
She has been invited as a guest speaker in many institutes and foundations. In November 2019 Ms. Khan got a nomination and was invited to the International Visitor Leader program (IVL) of the US Embassy for four months.
There Aradhiya Khan was published in Independent Urdu and Voice of America. She visited organizations and met trans-genders and their families. She was invited to the United Nations UN Women as well for attending a seminar on gender equality.
Aradhiya shared that now her family appreciates her, but her external family doesn’t want to meet her. Including her closest cousin who insulted her; have you ever seen your face? Nobody will let you in America when she got to know about her identity and left her.
Aradhiya said, “People show sympathy to me, but they don’t accept me truly, it makes me feel depressed a lot of times in life”.
She won the 25 under 25 awards in Pakistan in 2020
She owns her identity loud and proud by saying; “I wish to be reborn as a trans-gender. I have no guilt”. She feels proud when young transgender looks forward to her. Her tattoo is a symbol of belief in herself and her memories of the US. She said the landing at the US airport is her best memory yet.
On National Women’s day 2020 Aradhiya is being awarded by Mohtarma Fatimah Shaheed and Benazir Bhutto Shaheed with the accolade of a young Trans Woman.
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