

The Nepalese government has announced that, beginning in May, the country’s census will include a category for people who identify as transgender. Nepal’s government, although conservative, has been remarkably progressive in terms of LGBT rights. In 2007, the Nepalese Supreme Court ordered the government to remove laws that discriminated against people because of sexual orientation.

Sunil Babu Panta, Nepal’s first openly gay parliamentarian, said this about the decision.

“This shows that the government has started to recognize them. I hope this will help to ensure their rights,” he said “But challenges remain for the community as they have often been forced to leave their villages and taken refuge in cities due to discrimination.”