Kathmandu\/Pahichan – My name is Sheetal Humagai , I was born on the 27 July \u00a01991 AD at VDC Sanopokhara, Kavrepalanchowk district\u00a0of Kisantara in Nepal .When I was born, I was given a\u00a0feminine name and raised as a daughter. However, when\u00a0I reached puberty I began to develop like a boy.<\/p>\n
I was 14\u00a0years old when I realized I was different from others and I\u00a0began to examine that difference. It was then that I realized\u00a0that my difference lay in the fact that I had been born with\u00a0male and female genitalia.\u00a0My family had raised me as a girl due to the fact that I\u00a0urinated from the female part of my genitals and they\u00a0feared society\u2019s reaction to my intersex variation. However,\u00a0my gender identity is male.<\/p>\n
Throughout my childhood\u00a0and adolescence they kept suppressing my identity out of\u00a0fear that their social status would be downgraded if the\u00a0community knew that they had a child like me, they also\u00a0feared that I would be mocked.\u00a0Though I was raised as a girl I often felt uncomfortable\u00a0and stressed that I had to put on girl clothes. I was teased\u00a0and humiliated often by my friends on the street and at\u00a0home because my body was different to others.\u00a0My father passed away before 2004 and I then had \u00a0difficulty with my livelihood and continuing my studies.<\/p>\n
In 2008, an organization called \u2018Rest Nepal\u2019 came to our\u00a0school and had a short conversation with my teacher\u00a0esab Bahadur Raimaji. Looking at socioeconomic\u00a0status, they guaranteed me a scholarship so that I could\u00a0continuemy studies. At this point I felt that I could not\u00a0disclose that I was ntersex.\u00a0But later, with courage, I told them and despite my fear\u00a0they continued their support for my education. With this\u00a0support I managed to complete Higher Education and I\u00a0was given the opportunity to teach in a school as a support\u00a0teacher.<\/p>\n
I was at one point introduced to Mr. Bruce Moore, who\u00a0employed me in the Hotel Dwarika in Dhulikhel; at the\u00a0same time the staff of \u2018Rest Nepal\u2019 took me to \u2018Blue\u00a0Diamond Society\u2019 a Nepal LGBTI organization and here I\u00a0got to meet and make friends with other intersex people.<\/p>\n
I was incredibly happy to become part of this community\u00a0but when I learned about intersex issues and how they have\u00a0not been highlighted, I felt sad.\u00a0In the last six months, I have voluntarily undergone\u00a0surgery in hospital to make my genitals more masculine.\u00a0However, the initial surgery was not successful and I will\u00a0need another in three months. I am happy now and have\u00a0come out from the closet. I have started speaking about\u00a0my experience of being intersex and I would like to thank\u00a0\u2018Rest Nepal\u2019 for their initiative and help.<\/p>\n