Kathmandu/Pahichan- People who have different sexuality also engage in sexual activities. The ones who are fighting for their dignity and identity. Talking with, they described their struggle for identity. The ones who are called gender and sexual minorities. In our society, we see only homosexuals and transgenders kept in the category, while worldwide we take LGBTI.

Where L means Lesbian, a homosexual woman. G means Gay a Homosexual man, B means bisexual, T means transgender and I means Intersex. Bhumika Shrestha, an LGBTI rights activist asks people not to assume that gender and sexual minorities only mean homosexual and transgender but includes all LGBTI.

There are a lot of people in LGBTI community who are raising voice for their rights and identity.  People from this community are involved in politics, business, trade and various occupations on their own. Those who do not want to reveal their identity have also reached at high levels.  Sunil Babu Pant also represented this community in first constituent assembly.

After the first constituent assembly got dissolved, Sunil Babu Pant took 3 hundred and 65 LGBTI and collectively entered UML party. After him, human rights activist Bhumika Shrestha, Blue Diamond Society’s chairperson Pinky Gurung and other LGBTI joined various political parties. They are still active in politics now.

In recent years, along politics, modeling, hotel, business, agriculture, grocery shop, makeup artist, boutique business, sports field has also been seeing LGBTI representation. Model Anjali Lama got to do ramp walk in India’s renowned Fashion Week Lakme,due to which she became famous in international media. Born in Nuwakot district and named as Nabin Kumar Waiba by parents, she has been successful to establish her identity as Anjali Lama in international level. In 18 years of history, no transgender had ever participated in the show. In the same way, Para Taekwondo and Para Marathon player Nawaraj karki is a bisexual. He participated in World Taekwondo Federation Training and became a trainer.

Similarly, Sophie Sunuwar, a transwoman who has been a renowned professional makeup artist is also another example of successful LGBTIs. Meghna Lama has become an example establishing a restaurant. They are just few examples of those who are open.

There are many residing in capital and outside capital who have been successful doing diverse sorts of occupations, but are scared to open up. This is due to being stigmatized, hated and discriminated by society. In the same way, Sagar Gurung had uploaded his video on Youtube through his own channel which has added more encouragement in LGBTI.

LGBTI in Sex Working

Many LGBTI, specially transwomen are engaged in sex working making Thamel their main area. Although police arrests them in public crime.

What is the number?

According to national Aids and STD Prevention Centre, there are 54 thousand female sex workers. Similarly there has been estimation of 87 thousand 8 hundred 26 to 1 Lakh 11 Thousand 8 Hundred 52 transgender, men and MSM sex workers. This study has been scientifically approved by Nepal Health Research Council.

92 people HIV infected

The most vulnerable groups to HIV are female sex workers, male sex workers, MSM, transwomen, drug abusers and immigrant workers. Among the infected ones in the database, 92 people were MSM and Transwomen. In this people from age 20 to 24 are most vulnerable.

Why do they engage themselves in sex working?

Lack of opportunity, Lack of capability, Need to leave hometown and migrate kathmandu are the major causes. The root cause is discrimination and stigmatization, that once forces the community members to drop their studies making them incapable and again in the workplace that either demands capable and even stigmatizes LGBTI. It is the duty of state to provide employment opportunity to LGBTI.

The Constitution and law, party candidates (Sujan Panta, lawyer)

Article 12 in the Constitution of Nepal, third gender citizenship law has been mentioned. The Supreme Court issued an interim order to give citizenship. First, citizenship is taken from some boys and girls in the name of citizenship, it is necessary to apply the law restores citizenship to his wish. Similarly, Article 18 of the first draft of the constitution in case of equality of gender and sexual discrimination as one of the law that was not to be. Constitution when it was removed.

The repeal of this community is not in favor of a law banning any. According to the legal recognition of same-sex marriage should be required today, then. But, do not be afraid. Clause 5 of this Article, property rights, mentioned in several places in the Act despite Weak son, daughter that is mentioned.

The right to be compressed so that the community has reached. Mentioned in Article 42 of the Social Justice, sex and gender are not minorities for employment. The state quota allocated for them is not the situation. Access to education is not intuitive. The constitution, the law-making, but due to lack of implementation in practice of the community who are still lagging behind.

When do we get citizenship with name as wished?(Bhumika Shrestha, LGBTI rights activist) Still today there is no provision to apply for citizenship with the name you wish .