By Somaia Walizadeh
Transgender is denied in Afghanistan. Somaia Walizadeh talked to Eleni in Kabul, a transgender woman facing abuse in detention and by internal family punishments.
A Hidden Identity
A queer woman in Kabul goes by the pseudonym Firooz. Her family and community insist on treating her as a man, forcing her to wear men’s clothes. In private, she whispers the name she has chosen for herself: Elina—a name that reflects her true gender, even though she can only use it in secret in Afghanistan today.
Elina is 20 years old. She has spent most of her life in darkness, under house arrest, and in constant fear. Her story is not only that of a trans woman but also a reflection of the systemic oppression of the LGBTQ+ community in Afghanistan.
Arrest and Torture
About four months ago, a Taliban vehicle arrived at Elina’s home. She was taken into custody after being accused of being “a gay boy.”
“They put a black plastic bag over my head and took me to prison. They beat me and tried to force me to confess.”
Her phone was seized and searched for calls and messages. Elina’s face remained covered with the same black tarpaulin all night.
She was eventually released through the intervention of her brothers, but the trauma remains. Elina believes the Taliban are still monitoring her and tracking her phone conversations.
Living in Fear
The majority of her days are spent alone in her room, which has become a prison of its own. Her family has confined her there, fearful of criticism and mockery from society.
“Ever since, my body trembles whenever I hear the name ‘Taliban.’”
Her fears are well-founded. Reports from Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International show that the Taliban not only reject LGBTIQ+ individuals but actively torture and punish them.
Elina recalls a tragedy close to her:
“A while ago, one of my queer friends was arrested by the Taliban, and his genitals were cut off. When I heard this news, my world fell apart. Since then, my life has been filled with terror.”
A Repressed Identity
Elina realized at the age of 17 that she was a woman and dreamed of having a male partner one day. But in a society that criminalizes her very existence, such a life is impossible.
She feels stripped of her identity: her soft voice, her free smile, the joy of letting her hair down or wearing clothes that reflect her inner self. Each day feels like a renewed wound.
“Dressing as a man is like a prison. I am afraid of losing myself. I am afraid that I will never return to who I really am.”
Family and Society: Double Pressure
Elina not only faces the Taliban and the law but also her family’s rejection.
“My relationship with my family has become cold and distant. They think I’m getting stronger, but the truth is that I’m getting emptier every day.”
In Afghan society, LGBTIQ+ people rarely receive support. More often, they are the targets of ridicule and violence. Many live in secrecy, building fragile underground networks—but even there, the fear of exposure looms large.
A Dark Future
Elina sees nothing but devastation ahead.
“In Afghanistan under the Taliban, there is only darkness and destruction. My only hope is that one day I can breathe somewhere else, without a mask.”
She wants to be a voice for those who cannot speak, for the thousands of Afghans forced to hide their identities just to survive.
“If I were free to shout today, I would say from the bottom of my being: I am a woman! I have the right to be who I am, not what you have forced me to be.”
Forgotten by the World
Advocates for LGBTQ+ rights in Afghanistan say these are the hardest times they have ever faced. Many believed that, during the republic, small steps toward freedom and recognition were possible. But with the Taliban back in power, those hopes have collapsed.
Now, they feel abandoned—by foreign governments, and even by the United Nations.
