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Being an LGBTQ+ teenager in Nepal

LGBTIQ+ teenagers in our country remain in fear about the consequences of revealing their true identity.


Nepalnews
2022 Feb 15, 16:44,

The idea of being gay and/or homosexual is taken to be wrong in most societies. There has never been a specific period in history when homosexuality has been wholly accepted and integrated into societies. Some may find it to be in conflict with religion, while others may just decide that it is unnatural. The disagreement over normalizing homosexuality further takes a turn when broader terms, such as pansexuality and transsexuality, are introduced. The fact remains that when people identify as something other than straight and male or female, they are seen differently by most people.


“For teenagers, who are at the age of discovering new things about themselves, realizing that their true identity is different than what is considered normal can be a frightening prospect,” says Aditya Rai of Blue Diamond Society. “Most of them are confused and they are bound to be. But they need to know that it’s okay to be in that headspace.”

Rai is the manager of the “Promotion and Protection for LGBT People in Nepal” program, which mainly focuses on protection of people and families of marginalized groups and conducts awareness programs in government and non-government schools.

Talking about the struggles of LGBTQ+ teenagers, Rai said, “The most common problem all LGBTQ+ teenagers face is acceptance from their family and society. This further results in more people not opening up and hiding their true selves. The matter further gets worse when it results in fights and conflicts, which sadly tends to leave families broken.”


The acceptance has increased in more recent times, according to him, but the environment is still not ideal. The problem starts when they are taught the wrong ideals from a young age. As such, the program aims to resolve this and make life easier for LGBTQ+ people as a whole.

“The education system needs a revamp,” says Rai. “The most crucial way to change people’s opinion is by integrating the topic among students and letting them know it’s not wrong. This includes teaching the teachers themselves so that they can pass it down to the younger generation.

“The concept of LGBTQ+ should be normalized and any confusion they have needs to be clarified. For this, we even have programs with parents specifically, so that they learn about LGBT rights and child rights. At the end of the day, everyone is an individual, so they are entitled to identify the way they wish to.”


READ ALSO:

LGBTQ homosexuality acceptance homophobia
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