UNDERSTANDING TRANSGENDER ACCEPTANCE IN PAKISTAN: CULTURAL ATTITUDES AND RELIGIOUS INTERPRETATIONS

Abstract

The present study intends to find out the relationship between cultural attitudes, religious interpretations, and acceptance of transgender individuals in Pakistan. This study utilized a cross-sectional research design, and participants were recruited through a convenience sampling technique. A sample of 300 individuals was taken from different areas of Faisalabad. Results showed that there is a strong positive relationship between cultural attitudes and religious interpretations, and that positive cultural attitudes predict positive religious interpretations. There was also a significant positive correlation between cultural attitudes and transgender acceptance. Also, greater acceptance of transgender individuals was strongly positively related to religious interpretations reflecting that positive views of religious interpretations are associated with higher rates of acceptance of transgender individuals. This indicates that religious interpretations are more influential in understanding acceptance of transgender individuals within the Pakistani context as compared to cultural attitude. Results showed that there was no significant difference between males and females in terms of cultural attitudes. Females have higher religious interpretations and acceptance of transgender individuals than males. Results also revealed that there was no significant difference on socioeconomic status. The findings highlight the paramount importance of engaging with religious scholars and community leaders to foster gender acceptance and promote inclusive policies in Pakistan.