Exclusive: In an interview with The Transgender Queen Kami Sid

In Pakistan, the transgender community has long been a focus of discrimination. They have been beaten and harassed and are dismissed as performers, beggars, or sex workers. That is what we have thought and seen throughout our childhood. But one transgender believed that enough is enough. She wanted representation as herself and as for the others in the community as well. She is Kami Sid the first transgender model and actress.

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Kami broke the glass ceiling and went above and beyond to become the representation and influence that the transgender community lacked even before the government of Pakistan. Kami is not only a model and an actress but also an activist for the queer in Pakistan and she is now recognized not only in the nation but throughout the world as well.

Today, we are a proud nation to have her with the work she has been doing. Making people understand and accept the transgender community with her daring films.

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Getting to fame is never easy and we got to know about that when we sat down with Kami to talk about her experiences and how she views the Pakistani entertainment industry.

About Her Experience

Talking about her experience she said, “The industry according to me is not that welcoming and not that much sensitized. But when talking about myself, I feel like I am very lucky because I had people around me that supported, helped me in bringing my talent out in the entertainment industry. I wouldn’t say that my overall experience was amazing but it is good. The industry itself needs to grow and evolve and be more inclusive. I believe that the people should not shy away from supporting people like me, they should rather welcome people like me with open hands so that more and more people like me who want to be a part of the industry can get the opportunity.”

On Gender Discrimination

When talking about the problems she faced just because she is of a certain gender she said, “We keep on struggling throughout our lives just to make people understand that even we are as normal as any other person. Basically, the problem falls in just the mindset and acceptance. People are still just bearing with us rather than accepting us as humans. As far as change comes people didn’t even want to say the word transgender.”

“They didn’t know the problems that are faced by this community and how they live their lives. But since I came out in 2016, many other transgender started coming out in different fields especially in the media. The perspective of the public is indeed changing, but I believe it takes time for proper understanding and acceptance of any community.”

“In 1980 our government did introduce animal rights but they took their sweet time in introducing transgender protection rights. Finally, in 2018 they accepted the trans community as humans too.”

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On Her Work

When asked about her work in the industry, Kami said, “My first ever documentary was chupan chupai (hide and seek) which gave me instant fame internationally, people started to know me in Europe and America.”

“After that, I worked in How Gay is Pakistan and some other BBC documentaries. The experience was different in the sense that it was supposed to air in the UK and after it aired the audience there really appreciated me. They even tried to contact me from London. I still remember the family I had in London were afraid for my safety. But my fan following was increasing very fast. Even though I have not been to London yet, I know that the people there even the overseas Pakistanis have a better understanding of the queer community.”

On Film Rani

We asked her about her film RANI that won an award in NBC Universal Short Film, Sid said, “It was nominated quite a few times in many festivals but I went to Los Angles NBC festival and it was a wonderful experience for me because the film got the best writer award. I had the opportunity to talk to my fans there, and I showed them that the people of Pakistan Don’t lack talent.”

“But there is something that I feel when we are welcomed so nicely in a foreign land then why our country does stereotype us and use us as tokenism. Rani was even shown in the biggest festival Cannes in 2019, which I believe is the biggest achievement not just for me but for Pakistan as a whole.”

On Men Playing Transgender’s Role

On asking about who she thinks has best represented the community in dramas and films, this is what Sid had to say, “If the character is not played by someone who can relate to the character can never be the best and only the people that have the experience can do them justice for the community properly. The transgender should be played by the trans people only for proper character representation.”

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On Her Future

When asked about the future project she gave us a sneak peek about her upcoming short films on love stories of Trans people. One for a transgender woman and the other for a transgender man. We strive to show the community in a better light, so the audience and even the entertainment industry could understand our lives more, bit by bit.

Kami Sid’s ascension to fame as a model and actress is an act of resistance in and of itself, effectively defying the professional preconceptions that the trans community faces as a result of institutional discrimination, folklore, and the fear of abuse and harassment. She proudly identifies as transgender and uses her platform to educate the public about transgender concerns, fears, and prejudice. We wish her all the very best for her new projects and her career as a whole.