Over the weekend, Nepal established a new constitution that protects the rights of all of its sexual and gender minority citizens. Below is a press release from the Blue Diamond Society, an LGBT organisation in Nepal, explaining how the new constitution protects LGBTI people in the country:
We all sexual and gender minority (SGM) community of Nepal would like to express our contentment for the formal promulgation of Nepal’s constitution 2015, as addressed by Hon. President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav today; September 20, 2015. We heartily welcome the new constitution that has included our rights for the first time. We are very delighted that the “Constitution of Nepal, 2015” has granted constitutional rights to sexual and gender minority community (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex/ LGBTI). Under the principle of “Inclusion”, the new constitution of Nepal has acknowledged “Sexual and Gender Minority” community in the article 18 (Right to Equality) &article 42 (Right to Social Justice) and the use of gender neutral language in article 12 (regarding Citizenship ID) has ensured the fundamental rights of sexual and gender minorities. Moreover article 18.2 also include health status as non-discrimination. People living with HIV and other diseases are protected too by the ground “health status”.
