26th International AIDS Conference 2026 in Rio de Janeiro
Article by Patricia Gründler

Pakistan surprises many people when it comes to the rights of trans people. With the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2018, the country enacted one of the world’s most progressive laws on the legal recognition and protection of transgender people. Among other things, the law protects against discrimination in education, employment and healthcare, and enables the legal recognition of gender identity.

At the same time, the law has been under intense pressure from conservative religious groups for years. The debates surrounding it highlight just how hotly contested the rights of trans people are in Pakistan.

Against this backdrop, I attended a workshop at AIDS 2026 in Rio that presented a remarkable approach: activists, trans community leaders, religious authorities and healthcare professionals are deliberately seeking dialogue with one another to reduce HIV-related stigma and improve access to healthcare services.

When both sides invoke religious principles

One of the most fascinating insights from the workshop was that both conservative religious figures and activists frequently base their arguments on Islamic principles.

Rather than viewing religion as a fundamental obstacle to human rights, the speakers demonstrated how they engage in dialogue with religious authorities on the basis of shared ethical principles. In doing so, they draw on concepts from Islamic legal philosophy (Maqasid al-Shariah).

Examples of such principles include:

• Karamah – human dignity
• Hifz al-Nafs – protection of life
• Adl – justice
• La Darar wa la Dirar – causing no harm and not retaliating with harm
• Rahma – mercy and compassion
• Amanah – trust and responsibility
• Satr – protection of privacy and confidentiality

The activists described these principles not as abstract theology, but as concrete tools for their work. For example, if trans people avoid HIV testing or medical care for fear of discrimination, this can be understood as a violation of the principle of the protection of life (Hifz al-Nafs).

I found the example relating to the principle of Karamah (human dignity) particularly striking. The activists argued that, in Islam, even the deceased and their bodies must be treated with dignity. If even the dead are entitled to dignity, they reasoned, it is all the more unacceptable to deprive living people of their dignity, to humiliate them or to deny them their fundamental rights. This argument is used to demonstrate to religious authorities that treating trans people with respect need not contradict Islamic values, but can in fact be derived from them.

The weariness of having to explain things over and over again

At the same time, a sense of frustration was palpable during the workshop.

Several activists reported that they are tired of having to justify their existence and their rights time and again to conservative religious figures. This weariness is understandable. Many queer people are familiar with the feeling of constantly having to explain, defend or prove why they are entitled to the same rights and the same dignity as everyone else.

This experience is likely familiar to many in Switzerland too.

Nevertheless, it became clear why many activists in Pakistan cannot simply walk away from the dialogue. In countries where conservative-religious majorities strongly shape politics, legislation and social norms, engaging with religious institutions is often not a choice. Anyone wishing to achieve lasting improvements must often do their persuading precisely there.

Personal reflections

I took part in this workshop as a non-Muslim, but also as someone with a strictly religious past.

That is precisely why I found the discussion particularly interesting. In many human rights debates, religion is often portrayed either as a problem or as a solution. The workshop revealed a more complex reality: religious traditions are not static entities. They are interpreted, re-interpreted and negotiated. The same religious sources can be used to legitimise exclusion or to advocate for dignity, compassion and justice.

Whether this approach is always successful remains to be seen. Nevertheless, I was impressed by the tenacity with which activists in Pakistan are creating spaces for dialogue without compromising on their human rights concerns.