LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — For transgender students involved in a very special project at a culinary school in Pakistan, there is more to a class than just learning the art of cooking.
Since January, she has been enrolled in a new course for the trans community at the Culinary & Hotel Institute of Pakistan.
Now, Malik, 31, dreams of working as a chef in Dubai, the futuristic, skyscraper-studded city in the United Arab Emirates.
Many Pakistanis have entrenched beliefs on gender and sexuality, and trans people are often considered outcasts in the conservative Muslim-majority country.
Since classes started, students file into the Lahore culinary school with backpacks and beaming smiles, swapping their colorful clothes for white uniforms.
It’s because we see hope,” said Khan, who wants to start her own business after graduating — a roadside cafe.
Still, it’s not easy for for trans people to leave behind dancing, begging and sex work for the culinary program, said Shabnam Chaudry, a trans community leader. »
