Basira Paigham (born 1997/1998)[1] is an Afghan LGBTQ-rights activist.
Life and activism
editIn 2015, Paigham began anonymously using social media to connect with other LGBTQ individuals in Afghanistan.[1] In 2016, she created a Facebook group specifically for LGBT Afghans.[1] In 2018, Paigham and some of her fellow activists organized community meet-ups in Kabul, as well as organizing mutual aid for fellow LGBT Afghans.[1] During this time, Paigham also spoke with international groups and journalists under a pseudonym about her life as an LGBTQ person living in Afghanistan.[1] She also gained some notability domestically as a women's rights activist.[1]
In 2021, in the days after the Taliban claimed power, Paigham began receiving threatening phone calls from unknown numbers, and her apartment was searched.[2] In October 2021 she obtained a visa to enter Pakistan, and from there she fled to Ireland.[3] Paigham was recognized by the BBC as one of the 100 most influential women of the year; at the time, she was living in an Irish refugee camp in Dungarvan.[1][3][4][5] While living in the refugee camp, she began working with refugee children to engage them in positive and community-focused activities. Following the BBC's recognition, some parents began preventing their children from meeting with Paigham, "fearing she would teach them about homosexuality", and Paigham faced harassment on social media.[5][6] In Afghanistan, her family was targeted by the Taliban;[5] her father and brother were detained for two weeks in February 2022 and accused of "fostering a homosexual girl and supporting Western values against Islam and Afghanistan".[6] A few weeks later, her mother was beaten by neighbors.[6]
Paigham began working as a hospital cleaner, sending money back to her family to finance a move to a larger city in Afghanistan.[6]
Paigham was a keynote speaker at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom's 2022 Born With Pride Conference. In 2023, she was made a UN Rights and Religion Fellow of Outright International.[7]
Personal life
editPaigham is a lesbian[1] and queer.[6] She has said that her family is unsupportive of her sexuality.[1]
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Finding Identity and Fighting for Change: Basira's Journey as an Afghan LGBTQ+ Activist". Nimrokh. 2023-05-30. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ Sultan, Iman (2022-08-16). "Afghan women reflect on one-year anniversary of Taliban rule". The New Arab. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ a b Lee, Nicole (2022-11-07). "Dublin Lesbian Line speaks to Afghani LGBTQ+ activist Basira Paigham in new podcast episode". GCN. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ "BBC 100 Women 2021: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 2021-12-07. Retrieved 2023-09-09.
- ^ a b c Safi, Saeedullah (2024-08-15). "'It was like breathing again': Afghans find new life in Ireland, three years on from Taliban's takeover". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ a b c d e Paigham, Basira (2024-06-07). "From a burka to a rainbow of beads". Zan Times. Retrieved 2024-11-21.
- ^ "Outright Welcomes its 2023 UN Rights and Religion Fellows". Outright International. 2023-03-21. Retrieved 2023-09-09.