A couple of weeks after sexual minorities marched in Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, fighting for equal rights, the country has added strict anti-discrimination laws for the LGBT community in its new constitution.
Laws benefiting the LGBT community
In a first for an Asian nation, Nepal has become the third country in the world after South Africa and Ecuador to have explicit laws benefiting the LGBT community. Although it still does not recognize same-sex marriage, the LGBT community is protected against discrimination, violence, exclusion and abuse under the new charter.
“This victory is just the beginning of our long road towards full equality. We are ready to move beyond the discrimination, violence and exclusion of the past, and continue with even greater integrity, responsibility and dedication to contribute to the nation-building process,” Sunil Babu Pant, founder of Blue Diamond Society and Asia’s first openly gay federal Member of Parliament stated.
Safeguarding sexual minorities
According to Ty Cobb, Director of the Human Rights Campaign Global, the move was a momentous step forward for LGBT equality in Nepal: “The nation’s leadership has affirmed that its LGBT citizens deserve the constitutional right to live their lives free from discrimination and fear,” he said.
LGBT community across the globe
The situation for LGBT people around the world varies widely, Human Rights Campaign Global reports. 19 countries now have marriage equality and same-sex marriage is also legal in certain jurisdictions for two countries. However, same-sex activity is still punishable by death in 10 countries and criminalized in many more. Hundreds of transgender individuals have been violently murdered in the last year – over a dozen in the U.S. alone. Furthermore, in a growing number of countries such as Nigeria, Lithuania and Russia, governments have sought to hush equality advocates and organizations with so-called “anti-propaganda” laws and legislation.
Nepal recognized a third gender as early as in 2007. This year, it issued passports with “other” as the choice for those who do not wish to be identified as male or female. But representatives of the LGBT community say that there is still a long way to go before words and laws turn into their daily reality.
Nepal has seen several deadly protests in recent weeks against the new constitution that ended a saga that began after the end of the Maoist war in 2006. Minority ethnic groups, as well as women living in what is already a patriarchal society, fear the constitution will still work against them, as reported by BBC.
What do you think of Nepal’s LGBT-friendly constitution? Share your views in the comments section below.
FOR TECHNOLOGY RELATED NEWS AND PRODUCT REVIEWS, CHECK OUT CLAPWAY TRENDS:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhjE7kUwfv8
Nepal First Asian Country With LGBT Friendly Law
No comments:
Post a Comment