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Nepal's national census will include a new category for transgender people when counting begins in May, the government said Sunday, in a move welcomed by equality activists. "Earlier, we had only two categories: men and women. But in the upcoming census, we are including a 'third gender' category," said Bikash Bista, director of the Central Bureau of Statistics in Kathmandu. Two years ago, the Supreme Court in Nepal ordered the government to enact laws to guarantee the rights of transgender, gay, lesbian and bisexual people. Bista said the court's ruling prompted the new category, though Nepal remains a deeply conservative country. Sunil Babu Panta, Nepal's first openly gay parliamentarian, who runs the Blue Diamond Society pressure group, said that the transgender community was delighted by the decision. "This shows that the government has started to recognize them. I hope this will help to ensure their rights," he said. India will also have a transgender category in its 2011 census, the domestic Press Trust of India news agency reported Sunday. AFP |
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