Tuesday - May 31, 2011

Male, Female, Other

In what is believed to be a world first, Nepal’s Central Bureau of Statistics is giving official recognition to gay and transgender people—a move seen as major victory for equality in a country that only decriminalized homosexual relationships three years ago.

Among those happy to stand up and be counted in the third gender category is Dilu Buduja, 35. “I was born as a girl, but as I grew up I felt I was a boy. Today I totally feel like a man,” he said.

A spokesman for the statistics bureau, Bikash Bista, said the new categorization was an attempt to open up the traditionally conservative country up to different points of view.

Huh? Looks to me like the loonies have taken over in Shangri-La. They have confused physical gender with sexual orientation.

But the state’s recognition of the rights of gender minorities, gays and lesbians has not come without a fight.

“We had to put in a lot of pressure to have the third gender counted in the census,” said gender minority rights activist Sunil Babu Pant. “It was only after we said that we would go to court that the officials agreed to include the third gender as a category.”

If the case had gone to court, it would likely have been upheld thanks to a landmark 2007 Supreme Court ruling that directed the state to end discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity and decriminalize “unnatural sex.” It also decreed the issue of citizenship certificates that clearly indicate an individual’s choice of gender identity. Citizenship certificates, which work as national identity papers, are needed in Nepal to open a bank account, own property, secure a job and get a passport among other things.

Oh yes, gender identity so totally needs to be on your national ID card, because you never know when you’ll have to have sex with some random government official. And if their card doesn’t line up with your card, then you can play the victim card. Otherwise it’s just a convenient bribe, or the new Nepalese way of saying howdy? This is really strange. And it makes me wonder what ‘gender identities’ that allowed you to choose from, and why the really far out folks aren’t protesting their lack of choice?

Nepal Identity Card Form
Gender Identity Section
Check the One Category That Applies
* Just with women
* Just with men
* Depends on my mood
* After 3 drinks, who cares?
* men, women, medium sized livestock, government officials who can do something for me
* Avatars of the Gods and demons from the underworld, but only if they’re hot
* religious statues and icons I don’t approve of
* religious statues and icons I do approve of
* Shojo, help me turn this Panda around the other way!

see? It’s so limiting!

“Local authorities did not know about third gender and they were afraid that they would lose their jobs if they gave such a citizenship,” said Buduja, who last month became only the second person in the country to obtain a citizenship certificate indicating gender.
...
Though discrimination persists, there is progress. The government is also finalizing a list of discriminatory laws that need to be changed so that gender minorities can enjoy the same rights as others, including inheritance rights.
...
“We visited several districts in the country and Norway to look at its experience and use it as a case study,” said sociologist Chaitanya Mishra, a member of the recommendation committee.

According to another member of the committee, it will recommend that the government legalize same-sex marriage, which would be a first in South Asia.

The committee members of the government of Nepal had to go to NORWAY to learn about “gender minorities” and what to do about them? Damn. I have GOT to get me some of that wicked shit these guys are smokin’.

Posted by Drew458     on 05/31/2011 at 11:32 AM   
Filed Under: • International • Sex •  
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