Open and gay

Greater LGBTI rights

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The Mount Everest and Gautam Buddha are Nepal's most enduring claim to international fame. In the middle of a protracted political transition and ravaged by the Great Earthquake, there are very few contemporary sources of pride for the traditionally proud people—with one notable exception. After the election of the first Constituent Assembly in 2008, the country has made steady, if somewhat rocky, march towards gender equality. With 33 percent women lawmakers, ours is one of the most representative parliaments in the world. In 2007, the country legalized homosexuality and the following year the Supreme Court asked the government to take steps towards legalizing the same sex marriage. Under the 2007 court ruling, members of the LGBTI (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersex) community were already eligible for citizenships under 'Other' category, distinct from the traditionally binary 'Male' and 'Female' gender categories seen in legal documents. The past week, Monica Shahi became the first person to be granted a passport under the 'O' category. From now on all those who have acquired citizenship under 'O' category will be eligible for a Machine Readable Passport under the same category. On the back of these progressive changes the country is fast earning a reputation as one of the most LGBTI-friendly countries in the world.

We are aware that not everyone in Nepal is comfortable with the label of "LGBTI friendly country." Whatever the outward appearance, this is still a very conservative society that frowns on any kind of 'deviation'. Political outfits like RPP-Nepal have been quick to exploit people's unease with 'perversions' like Christianity and same-sex union that were supposedly imposed on Nepal at the behest of powerful international actors. We have our own reservations about forced religious conversions and forceful imposition of any social or sexual identity. But in a free society, each and every person should be able to voluntarily choose their beliefs and sexual orientation. Most countries deny their citizens even this basic human right. That is why it is heartening to see Nepal lead the global movement for greater rights for the LGBTI community. In 2011, it was only one of ten countries in the world to back the UN General Assembly Declaration and sponsor the UN Human Rights Council's resolution, both on LGBTI rights. This showed that the new support for the community comes not just from our courts. Even our bureaucrats and political leadership appear to be increasingly in favor of an open and inclusive society that does not discriminate people based on their sexual orientation.

With its decision to grant passport under 'Other' category, Nepal has now become one of only three countries (along with Australia and New Zealand) with that arrangement. Again, all these changes should not be interpreted as an attempt to somehow destroy our rich culture and tradition. The open depiction of sexual intercourse between same sex couples in the carvings that adorn our centuries-old temples and monuments shows that we were never a prudish society. In fact, it could be argued that our newfound readiness to embrace sexual minorities stems from our inherent nature that is accepting of differing viewpoints and welcomes people from diverse backgrounds. So now should be the time to work at reducing, through a robust awareness campaign, the stigma that is still unfairly (and now illegally) attached to being sexually different in Nepal.