“I was born as a boy but my feeling was a girl,” says 32 year old Simran Sherchan, a trans woman and now National Program Co-ordinator for The Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities, Nepal. As a child, with no exposure to open LGBTQI+ individuals or educational materials, she was confused about who she was. She then thought she was gay, until at 19, she read about transgender women: “When I realized I was trans - that was the happiest moment in my life. I realized I was not alone.” Simran’s family though wanted her to marry. ”I hid myself in Kathmandu so they couldn’t force me to marry her.” Without a job and family support, Simran descended into poverty. “I had to do sex work for money. For 6 or 7 months. When I was doing that I saw a lot of violence and problems. I really didn’t want to do sex work but I didn’t have other options.” Her experience on the street led her to Blue Diamond Society, a LGBTI organisation in Kathmandu. They offered her a job as an outreach worker. “I left sex work and started my new life. Now i go everywhere for the LGBT community.” When asked what she wants for the future she says “I hope people will accept LGBTI people more now. If we stay in the dark side nobody can see us, we must come into the light show the people that we exist, we are also beautiful.” Nepal's current LGBTQI+ laws are some of the most open in the world – including the legal recognition of a third gender. Tangible implementation of the various government orders has been piecemeal though, a 2014 United Nations report noted. And government officials have continued to harass LGBT groups, including by alleging that organizing around homosexuality is illegal in the country. Furthermore, while laws are progressive, discrimination is wide spread, especially within families, where marriage between a man and a woman and the bearing of children are expected of young Nepalese. Katmandu, Nepal. 30 October 2018. Photo Robin Hammond/Witness Change

Simran Sherchan /

“When I was a child I don’t know who am I? I always thinking about myself why I am like this. Why I am behaving like that. Is only I am in this world who behaving different than birth assign. When I enter in my teenage I more attract with boys rather than girl. Most of my classmate they were talking about girls but I always thinking about boys but cannot express them about my feeling because I was confused about my self. At that time my classmates and neighbors they are talking about me and bullying me, giving me a different name which makes me more stress and confused me. At that time, I thought I am gay? Because I only heard about gay and lesbian. Later I knew that I don’t belongs to gay definition because I always wanted to be a girl. After few years I read a newspaper definition which was totally match my feelings. I was so happy and feeling fortune myself and realized I am not alone in this world. But still hazard to reveal my gender identity front of family and society because society wasn’t so much open on that.

Later, I flew in cyprus for further study and stayed over there for seven years. During that time my family always force me to back home and get marry with girl. And I always denied then that I will come next years. Like this I spent next years. End of 2001 I back Nepal. As soon as I realize that if I back to home and get marry with girl once I marry. I gonna ruined two family life. Emotion and dream so I hide myself in Kim. IN my one and friend home. At the very first day I wore a ladies clothes that time felt that magician sword touch my head and I became a lady.

I felt so much happy, and I started walk in a street with ladies clothes which was my childhood dreams and I was so happy that my dream came true. Slowly, Slowly my money finish and I started working in night entertainment sector but which I really doesn’t want to do, what I really doesn’t wanted.

One day I met a outreach worker of blue diamond society and with him I visit their office. Where a post was vacant and I applied it because I want to change myself from a profession which was chosen by me. Because where I saw many stigma, violence, risk in daily life.

During the time period. I got a opportunity take participant a capacity building training and I boost up myself. So mow I am in national level position in federation of sexual and gender minorities Nepal. Now I am advocating for rights and aware to people about LGBTI. Because I really want to create a enabling environment for LGBTI.”

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