KATHMANDU, (Reuters) – Hindu-majority Nepal said yesterday that it will start issuing identification cards with three categories for genders – a move hailed by gay activists, who said previous regulations had been discriminatory.
Up until now, the government has issued the cards only to people who identified themselves as either male or female.
People identified as transgender said they could not apply for jobs, set up businesses or seek education without the cards, and that forcing them to choose one specific gender was discrimination. “We have changed the format, which will now include male, female and others,” said Shankar Koirala, a Home Ministry spokesman.
The move comes four years after the Supreme Court ordered the government to draft new laws or change old ones that discriminated against gays, lesbians and transgenders.
Sunil Pant, founder of the Blue Diamond Society, a leading gay rights group, said the move was very positive and came after years of struggle.
