KATHMANDU, April 18: The Dalit sexual and gender minorities lack representation within their own communities and groups despite a constitutional provision that marginalized and diverse groups should participate in all kinds of movements and structures.
According to stakeholders, this group which is living under multifaceted oppression, lacks structural representation and dignity. The participants of an interaction program held in Kathmandu pointed out this dire situation faced by the Dalit minority.
Similarly, there is a noticeable absence of representation for Dalit gender and sexual minorities in organizations advocating for Dalit rights. Director of Nepal Samari Utthan Samaj, Shiva Hari Gyawali said that despite two decades of gender and sexual minority movements in Nepal and 76 years of the Dalit rights movement, both movements have not been able to address this issue.
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He pointed out that while there are hundreds of Dalit associations and there are 39 organizations representing gender and sexual minorities. "Not a single Dalit sexual and gender minority is included in either of these associations or organizations," he said.
Gyawali said that Dalit gender and sexual minorities face different challenges. He shared his personal experience, revealing how being a gender and sexual minority led to his eviction from his home and subjected him to caste-based discrimination in employment, relationships, and self-esteem.
Sunita Bishwokarma, a transgender woman from Sarlahi, shared her experience of facing rejection from her family due to her relationship with a non-Dalit partner. Forced to relocate to the city, she even changed her surname to avoid discrimination in the rented room.
Transgender Manju Shah (identity changed) has also changed her surname after facing caste discrimination as a Dalit. After changing her surname, she has now managed to get a job in the entertainment industry. However, she now fears that her caste might be revealed. Syangja's Poonam Nepali (identity changed) is in an inter-caste relationship. Unfortunately, the partner's family rejected her due to her caste.
Instances have revealed discrimination against Dalit gender and sexual minorities by other gender and sexual minority groups, depriving them of opportunities for inclusion. In the Terai region, Dalit gender and sexual minorities often find themselves employed as entertainers. Some main individuals exploit them, keeping them as slaves and do not pay them. Cases of suicide among Dalit sexual and gender minorities have also been reported.
According to Samari Utthan Samaj's survey, 85 percent respondents had suicidal thoughts and 39 percent had experienced frequent suicide ideation.
Pinky Gurung, President of Nepal Blue Diamond Society, emphasized the need for collaboration between the Dalit community and gender and sexual minority advocacy groups to address their oppression. "In terms of both inclusion and empowerment, it needs to be incorporated into policies and implementation," she said.
