Sahas Batala/Kathmandu (Pahichan) August 28 – Urjila Shrestha and Sukanaya Sapkota, BA second year students of Mega College, completed their internship in the Blue Diamond Society which advocates for the rights of gender and sexual minority.  Earlier, they were hesitant to go for the BDS and requested their teachers to find other organization.

However, after the completion of internship, there is a complete change in their attitude towards LGBTI.  Sukanaya Sapkota said she used to fear to speak with the members of this community while seeing them in the street.

She recalled a moment of her school life. She stated that they laughed when they saw a transgender woman. When the transgender women scolded, and that created a sense of fear among them.

“When I was selected to do internship in the BDS, I was hesitant and there was a sense of fear. I asked my subject teacher to find me an alternative,” she said. After the internship, she realized that transgender are like male and female and only difference is their gender identity.

Urjila Maharjan, however, said they never had a negative opinion on transgender. “There was not any difficulties and hesitant when I came to BDS. I got an opportunity to learn a lot of things after completing my internship,” she said adding that she know how society views members of this community.

She committed to make efforts to end the discriminate against this community.  “If I find such people in the society, I would lend my support; I will try to convince my family members. If a find any homosexual and transgender i will take them to BDS,” she said.

Stating that members of this community should get their rights, she said the rights of this community have been mentioned in the new constitution.  She asked the members of this community to disclose their identity suggesting to end their dual identity. “There is no need of remaining in confusion, there is a need of disclosing clear identity,” she said.