THERE is suddenly a lot of discussion about transgender people in the country. Being a transgender is simply one of the many defects that may take place in the process of the formation of a child inside the mother’s womb. Down’s syndrome, haemophilia, extra fingers, mental retardation, deafness, blindness and many more malformations not involving reproductive organs do not bother anyone. The moment a malformation involves the latter organs, all hell breaks loose, with the most ignorant often making the most noise.

Human beings are ‘formed’ by the mixing of 1.5 billion pairs of DNA from each parent. This is a phenomenal number, and accidents are bound to occur. In fact, about half the mixings are so defective and incompatible with life that the ‘quality control’ department in every mother-to-be rejects the embryo in the shape of miscarriages.

Transgender people represent just one of the many possible ‘accidents’ or poor mixing of DNA pairs deciding the gender of a person. This has been happening since the beginning of the world, and will continue to happen till the very end.

This happens in every part of the world. In a civilised society, transgender people are identified at birth or soon thereafter. They are properly counselled, educated like other children, and absorbed perfectly in society as useful citizens. Indeed, they are as intelligent as any other person.

In ignorant and poorly educated societies, like Pakistan, for instance, they are left to earn their living begging at traffic signals.

This is none of their fault. This is a failure and fault of society that for some strange and totally incomprehensible reason fails to recognise a simple fact of life.

Prof Serajuddaula Syed
Karachi

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2022