KATHMANDU, June 23, 2008  –  Like many marginalised and voiceless Nepali people, homosexuals and third genders fought against autocracy and took to the streets for democracy during the second people’s popular movement in Nepal in 2006.

Now democracy has prevailed in Nepal and the country has become a Federal Democratic Republic.

But many gay men and women still remain without any rights – and many ‘third genders’ are either compelled to carry a wrong citizenship ID or are denied any recognition as citizens of Nepal at all.

Many sexual and gender minorities still face violence, abuse and rape.  Many sexual and gender minorities are excluded from education, employment and health care.

There is not a single overt sexual or gender minority person that holds any government position and when found that any person is of a sexual/gender minority, the person is immediately expelled from the job.

An example of this is last year when Bhakti Shah was fired from the Nepal Army for being sexual/gender minority, after serving with full responsibility for four years as physical training officer in Nepal Army training centre, Kharipati, Bhaktapur.

Over the past eight years, many sexual and gender minority communities throughout Nepal have started organising themselves for equal rights, social justice and recognition as equal citizens of Nepal.

Blue Diamond Society, believing in a peaceful struggle, filed the writ petition against the government in April 2007.  In 21 December 2007, Supreme Court of Nepal made an historic decision ordering the Government of Nepal to recognise third gender according to their gender identity and protect sexual and gender minority rights as natural persons.

But the current government, which enjoys the power because of the many marginalised people who risked their lives and/or were killed during the second people’s popular movement, is not paying any attention to the most marginalised and voiceless community of sexual and gender minorities.

Rather the government continues ridiculing our dignity, true identity and rights.

Sexual and Gender Minorities applied for true citizenship ID personally in many CDO offices and Blue Diamond Society has also issued direct request to the Home Ministry to make the law so that third genders can get their Citizenship ID according to their gender identity.

But there has been no response to date.

Just two weeks ago sexual and gender minorities launched a hunger strike demanding their Citizenship ID.  The hunger strike was postponed for a period of one month after hearing (a promise to support us) from the Home Minister through his special envoy, Prhalad Giri.

Now Rina Tamang; a third gender (who was born as a female 25 years ago in Sunsari District), applied for her citizenship ID and requested to be issued ID as a Third Gender; denied and forced to take citizenship ID identified as a MAN.

In many districts many third genders are denied Citizenship ID as the officer tells us: “We can only issue Citizenship ID to men and women and you are neither man nor woman but third genders and we have no authority from the home ministry to issue citizenship ID to third genders”.

As a result many third genders remain without any recognition as a citizen of Nepal.

This kind of discrimination from the state against third genders is shameful, where, with due process, even foreigners are issued Citizenship ID but our own third genders are denied of Citizenship.

We denounce the government continuously ridiculing Nepali third genders and demand immediate policy formulation so that third genders are no longer denied their Citizenship ID.

Sunil Pant is a Constituent Assembly Member of Nepal (MP) and heads the Blue Diamond Society.

SEE ALSO

Nepal Army Sacks Two Women ‘Because They Had No Breasts’, Says Gay Group.  Nepal’s army has stirred up a new controversy by sacking two women because they were flat-chested and accused of being lesbians.  (UK Gay News, August 7, 2007)

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Posted: 23 June 2008 at 09:00 (UK time)