341 पटक हेरिएको “If I stood in the boys’ line, they would push me and say, ‘Go over there.’ If I sat on a boys’ seat in the classroom, they would mock me, saying, ‘This desk and bench aren’t yours.’ And if I sat on a girls’ seat, the girls would say the same thing.” Rajani Thakali’s experience highlights the extent of discrimination faced during primary school for being a third-gender individual.
Rajani shared that many gender and sexual minority children are forced to drop out of school due to harassment from their own classmates. Even those who manage to pursue higher education face different forms of discrimination, according to her experience.
Kiran Thapa, another third-gender individual, shared that the bullying faced during school often escalates to sexual violence during higher education. “My friends used to pinch my cheeks, bite them, and hold me tightly in their laps, saying things like, ‘You’re just like a girl,'” Thapa recalled. “It’s only now that I realize those were acts of sexual violence.” They further shared, “I remember teachers as well, who would comment on how affectionate or shy I seemed while stroking my face or pinching my cheeks.” Some teachers even behaved inappropriately, and those memories remain vividly imprinted on his mind.
Gender and sexual minority individuals who experience violence from their peers and teachers in educational institutions also face various forms of discrimination in public life. Rajani shared an incident of harassment they faced while using a public restroom. “There were separate lines for men and women, and I stood in the women’s line. There were two or three women ahead of me and several behind me. A woman standing right behind me said, ‘This isn’t your line; yours is over there.’ At that moment, I couldn’t even assert that I belonged there, nor could I go to the other line,” they recounted.
Such instances of harassment are not uncommon but keep happening, Rajani shared. Similarly, another third-gender individual, Kiran Thapa, explained how this issue is particularly challenging in crowded public restrooms. “In places where there are separate restrooms for 10–12 men and an equal number of women, it becomes extremely difficult. If I try to use the men’s restroom, my physical appearance makes it impossible to blend in. If I go to the women’s restroom, my physical features don’t align with theirs, leading to further issues. In such situations, I’m often met with comments like, ‘Why is a man coming to the women’s restroom?’ resulting in even more discrimination,” Thapa explained.
They also mentioned that some gender and sexual minority individuals have faced physical assault simply over their choice of restroom.
Gender and sexual minorities have experienced unequal treatment in schools, public spaces, and healthcare institutions, as shared by individuals from the community. Rajani Thakali highlighted that even hospital records do not accommodate their identity due to the binary classification of “male” or “female” on tickets and registration forms.
Although they may receive medical treatment, they are recorded under either male or female categories, which fails to recognize their existence. This exclusion, they believe, prevents the concerns and needs of gender and sexual minorities from being included in policy-making processes.
Rajani explains, “Even when we access healthcare services, our data remains invisible. Without visible data, the specific health issues faced by gender and sexual minorities do not appear in statistics.”
Rajani states, “When statistics on healthcare usage by gender and sexual minorities are not visible, the government always excludes us when formulating policies in the health sector. It only shows the issues of women and men, and policies and laws are made accordingly. As a result, they receive free treatment, but because our data is invisible, we are deprived of state services and facilities.”
They have shared that there are even greater challenges in the employment sector. Due to the discrimination and mistreatment faced during primary education, many individuals from the gender and sexual minority community were unable to complete their schooling, making them ineligible for jobs. Even those who are qualified for employment face barriers, such as issues with citizenship and other problems, which prevent them from being hired. Rajani, who has been advocating for the rights of gender and sexual minorities, explained this situation. They are the coordinator of an organization called Naulo Bihaani.
Rajani says, “Only if gender and sexual minority issues are included in school education, can we change the societal perspective towards us.”
They demand that gender and sexual minority issues should be included in educational institutions. “In this regard, all teachers and students should also be trained. Once they understand, then our community members will be able to access education rights in an easier way. Because the light of knowledge begins from school.”
They mentioned that they have been raising issues regarding the rights of their community for more than 10-12 years, and although there are signs of improvement, it is still not complete. “We have been bringing these issues to the attention of relevant bodies by organizing various programs at the national level, with political parties, and at local and provincial levels. Although the desired results have not been achieved, some changes have definitely occurred,” they said.
Apart from these, individuals from this community have also been struggling with issues such as problems with citizenship, certificates, self-respect, challenges in asserting their identity in society, and forced marriages imposed by parents against their wishes.
There is also the existence of the third gender in society, just like women and men. They are citizens of the same nation and have the constitutional right to live with dignity. It is important to spread widespread awareness about this.
