Hoping to bring about change, individuals belonging to the LGBTIQ group shared their stories with MPs from the Education and Health Committee

Kathmandu, September 17: When Swastika Pariyar came out about her sexual orientation to her family, the reaction was overwhelmingly negative. “They rejected me,” she says. The Syangja native then moved to Butwal, where she met a trans man with whom she fell in love. “I chose him as my life partner but my family was angry at my decision,” she states. Incensed, her parents filed a case of human trafficking against her partner. It was only after rounds of negotiations—mediated by Mitini Nepal, an NGO that works for LGBTIQ rights—with family members that the matter was settled. Pariyar now lives in Kathmandu with her partner and works at Mitini Nepal as a social mobilizer. However, she laments the fact that she could not continue her studies. It’s not easy to retrieve her educational documents from the school she attended in her hometown when her family and the system are not supportive of her, she says.

Arashu Shrestha’s story is similar. A trans man, Shrestha became aware of his gender identity while in grade 7. He soon started attending school wearing pants instead of skirts. This did not go down well with school authorities, who expelled him for identifying with a different gender. Bursting into tears, Shrestha recounts that he received no support from his family. Instead, he was constantly harassed by them. “They then disowned me because of my gender identity,” he says.

Neelam Paudel, a trans woman, faces discrimination whenever she visits hospitals. “At first, the hospital staff is receptive,” she says. “But when they find out about my gender identity, their attitude changes.” Poudel is in favour of having separate wards for the LGBTIQ community in hospitals.

Pariyar, Shrestha and Poudel, who are from the sexual and gender minority group, shared their experiences at an interaction titled ‘Workshop with Parliamentarians of Education and Health Committee’ organized by Mitini Nepal, with support from UNDP's Parliament Support Project, in Kathmandu.

Listening to their stories, Chitra Lekha Yadav, former deputy speaker of the House of Representatives, stated that they were a reminder of the responsibilities the MPs had towards the community. She further said that the constitution had ensured the rights of the LGBTIQ community in Articles 12, 18 and 42, and were incorporated in some precedents of the Supreme Court. "However, there is a need to formulate appropriate laws and regulations regarding the education and health rights of the LGBTIQ community,” she said. Yadav stressed the necessity for taking concrete steps to ensure that sexual and gender minority communities do not feel left behind.

The MPs of the Education and Health Committee of the House of Representatives expressed their commitment to considering the rights and priorities of sexual and gender minority groups while drafting laws. MPs Khaga Raj Adhikari, Heet Bahadur Tamang, Sarita Neupane, Chitra Lekha Yadav, Gajendra Bahadur Mahat, Rekha Kumari and Jeevan Ram Shrestha were present at the event.

Sarita KC, Executive Director of Mitini Nepal, said that the program was organized to sensitize the MPs on LGBTIQ issues and the difficulties faced by the community while acquiring facilities and services in the health and education sector, so that the issues could be incorporated while forming laws.  "The LGBTIQ community faces bullying and harassment at school.  The words used and the gender categories mentioned in text books have also created problems and need to be amended," she added. 

A total of 47 participants including seven MPs, 16 males, 21 females and 10 others were present at the workshop.