Lalitpur (Pahichan) March 14 – “Before 16 years ago, we had to be mentally ready to go to jail. We had live under a constant terror environment of police arrest. Police used to arrest our friends. We were unable to deal with other people, “Chairman of Blue Diamond Society Pinky Gurung said, “Sunil Babu Pant used to deal with other people.”

At a discussions organized by Lalitpur Bar Association, Gurung said there has been some changes in the situation in the recent days.  We are able to hold frankly discussions due to the initiations taken by BDS in the field of creating awareness about this community, Guurng added. BDS was founded in 2001, has been expanded in 29 districts with 53 branches.

There are 750 staffs in BDS. According to her, if sexuality is the feeling of any individual and it should not be determined on the basis of his\her sexual intercourse. According to her, people understand about sexual orientation while others are less known about it.

There are also people in the society who are unwilling to understand about this community. “My relationship with a male is natural and my relation with female is unnatural,” Gurung said. Transgender are those people who born as male but they carry the features of female later.  “Though I tried to love with female, my inner heart did not accept it but it is a natural character,” Gurung said. She urged the legal fraternity to be positive about this community.

 Bisoraj Adhikari, Project Officer of Norwegian Project said though World Health Organization recognized same-sex relation as natural in 1990; they are compelled to reiterate it.

Lalitpur Bar Association Chairman Prakash Maharjan said due to the traditional mindset, there are the challenges to educate people about this community. “People of this community are facing discrimination. Transgender are not born as per their wishes, it is natural so they should be treated equally like female and male,” said Maharjan. Maharjan said Lalitpur Bar is ready to fight to ensure the rights of gender and sexual minority.

Legal Advisor to BDS Prem Bahadur Thapa said District Administration offices are still reluctant to issue citizenship under O category.  “It is unfortunate that Nepal Bar Association suggested removing sexual orientation from the draft constitution,” Thapa said.

Advocate Rita Sherpa suggested increasing discussions about this community. Advocate Ratna Awale expressed concern about the LGBTI. Transgender rights activist Jyoti Thapa Magar expected the assistances from Lalitpur Bar if she faces any problems.

Thapa said people who teach gender is unaware about the LGBTI.  Manoranjan Kumar Baidhya of Parichaya Samaj suggested pressing the concerned authorities to amend the laws which are discriminatory to this community.

Baidhya also urged to implement the legal and constitutional provisions. Vice-chairman of BDS Umesh Pandey said it is not only about wearing the clothes of women; people who feel from their inner side are transgender.