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Blackout: Being LGBT in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan

VICE News heads to Pakistan to unravel the country’s underground gay scene and examine the ways in which technology is being used to achieve sexual freedom.

In BLACKOUT, a series made possible by Jigsaw, VICE News takes viewers across the globe, from Pakistan to Belarus, to examine technology's role in the ongoing fight for free expression. Watch the rest of the series here.

Pakistan is one of the world's least tolerant countries when it comes to homosexuality. Being gay is illegal in the Islamic republic and carries a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. Gay men are often accused of bringing shame to their families and commonly face violence — sometimes even murder.

Gay-focused apps like Grindr, Scruff, and ManJam offer a discreet way for Pakistan's LGBT community to connect and socialize, but they're also risky: A man was recently arrested for allegedly using the apps to lure gay men and kill them.

VICE News went to Pakistan to unravel the country's underground gay scene and examine the ways that technology is being used to achieve sexual freedom.

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