- A Pakistani man who tried to set up a gay club has been detained in a psychiatric hospital, according to The Telegraph.
- Friends told the outlet they have been barred from visiting him and are concerned for his safety.
- In Pakistan, same-sex sex is punishable by prison time, including life in prison.
A man who tried to set up Pakistan’s first gay club has been detained in a psychiatric hospital by local authorities, according to The Telegraph.
The newspaper said the man, who asked not to be named, had submitted an application to set up an LGBTQ+ club in Abbottabad, a military city in northern Pakistan known as the site of Osama bin Laden’s secret hideout where he was killed in 2011.
According to The Telegraph, in his application to the deputy municipal commissioner, the man wrote that the club would be “of great convenience and utility to the many gay, bisexual and even heterosexual people particularly residing in Abbottabad”.
In Pakistan, same-sex sexual relations is punishable by prison terms ranging from two years to life.
Prosecutions are rare, but the UK Home Office has noted that members of Pakistan’s LGBTQ+ community may hide their sexual orientation for fear of abuse, discrimination and honour killings.
The Telegraph reported that the application for the proposed club stated that it would be named “Lorenzo Gay Club” and that “no gay (or non-gay) sex (other than kissing) would be permitted”.
Signs will be posted on walls warning that sexual activity will be banned on the premises, the paper said, adding that anti-homosexuality laws would not be “flouted on the premises”.
The deputy commissioner of Abbottabad did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
However, his office confirmed to The Telegraph that it had received the proposal, adding that it was being considered.
The media reported that the application form had been leaked online, angering local politicians.
According to the Telegraph, members of the far-right Awami Tehreek party threatened to pour gasoline on the building and set it on fire if permission was granted.
According to the British newspaper, the applicant has been transferred to Sarhad Psychiatric Hospital in Peshawar. Friends of the applicant told The Telegraph they have been barred from visiting him and are concerned for his safety.
Before being detained, the applicant told a newspaper, “I speak about human rights and I want the human rights of everyone to be protected.”
He also told the paper that if authorities reject the application, he will take it to court.
