KATHMANDU: Draped in garlands, Bhumika Shrestha on Monday became Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a milestone for the marginalised community in the Himalayan nation. "I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders," Shrestha, an LGBTQ rights advocate, said. In 2023, an interim order from the Supreme Court allowed same-sex and transgender couples to register their marriage. But no one from the community has held public office since 2008, when an openly gay man became a lawmaker, nominated under the proportional representation system. More than 900,000 people in Nepal identify as sexual minorities, according to BDS.

Source: The Star March 17, 2026 04:54 UTC