Kathmandu, August 14

The LGBTI community in Nepal continues to be outcast by their families, communities, and societies, and many are forced to drop out of schools and colleges.

Director of Human Rights Campaign, Global Martin Rouse, said, “The LGBTI issues exist not only in Nepal but all over the world. All people have the right to fall in love, marry who they choose to, and live their lives as themselves. Lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transsexuals, and intersexes are as human and ‘normal’ as anybody else, and deserve the same rights.”

According to a report of the Blue Diamond Society, an organisation that promotes and protects LGBTI rights in Nepal, the LGBTI community form almost 10 per cent of the total population of the country. Most are forced to drop out of their schools and colleges because they are bullied in their academic institutions, and even rejected for admission.

Apeksha Dahal, 22, said, “My parents kicked me out of the house when they found out I am attracted to women and fell in love with a girl.” Dahal’s parents pressured her to marry a man when they discovered she was a lesbian, and when she refused to marry, she was kicked out of her house.

Dahal is now working in the Blue Diamond Society.

Aniee Lama, 23, is a transgender woman who underwent a gender-reassignment surgery. Lama said her family and friends helped her and supported her. “I always identified as a woman more than as a man. To become who I am really, I sold my property so I could have the gender-reassignment surgery.” Lama was the second runner-up of the Miss Pink beauty pageant held on May 7 this year.

Lama is now representing Nepal in the International Beauty Queen 2016, to be held in November 9 in Thailand this year. “I love my country, and I want to do something to make the country proud of me,” said Lama. Nepal has provided fundamental rights and other rights to third genders in Article 12, 18, and 42 of the constitution. LGBTI issues are also included in the curriculum of Grade VI, VII, VIII, but people of this community are still not allowed a chance at having a family.

A lawyer Sujan Panta said, “Even though the government has provided some rights to the LGBTI community, they are still not permitted to marry or adopt a child in the constitution.” Panta accused the government of being irresponsible as it did not record data of the LGBTI population during the recent census.