The Geopolitical and Socio-Cultural Impact of LGBTQ+ Advocacy in South Asia: Institutional Dynamics and Challenges for the Muslim Community

Abstract

This research critically analyses the increasing influence of LGBTQ+ advocacy networks and international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) within the South Asian region, with particular focus on the socio-cultural, legal and religious challenges that the Muslim community faces. The legal landscape in South Asia has changed in the last decade with de-criminalization of Section 377 in India and Transgender Protection Laws in Pakistan and Bangladesh. This article investigates the framing of human rights by transnational advocacy, the reactions of institutions of Islamic jurisprudence, and the division that ensues in Muslim-majority societies. The study maps out the institutional framework of these advocacy groups through a desk-research methodology based on legislative acts, human rights reports and sociology literature from 2018 to 2026. It ends by pointing out the structural challenges that Muslim communities face in negotiating global human rights paradigms with traditional religious values.