ABSTRACT
This chapter examines the pseudonyms for organizations and the people affiliated with them in order to protect their identities. The transgender people of Pakistan, known as khwaja siras, were granted rights by the Pakistani government after decades without any legal recognition or protection. khwaja siras action coincided with attempts by transgender activists, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and the government to organize and empower khwaja siras. These individuals served as army generals, harem guards, and advisers to the emperors. Khwaja siras were considered ideal for the protection of the women of the harem due to their inability to reproduce. Homosexual acts are illegal under Section 377 of the country's penal code, an injunction that was inherited from British colonial rulers. Later colonial accounts of Indian history indicate that British rulers identified hijras as a criminal caste, a classification under which they could be subjected to surveillance and arrest.
