Wedged halfway between the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and China’s Xigazê prefecture is a little slice of awesome.
The country of Nepal has added a third gender to its census forms, thus accommodating citizens who don’t quite feel right within the gender binary. It’s been a rocky road getting here — a few months ago, activists were arrested after demanding the census changes.
But it’s a little unclear what “third gender” means. It is just for people like Justin Bond, who refuse to go by “he” and “she”? Or is it a segregated category for all LGBTs?
Check out this confusing quote from Dilu Buduja: “I was born as a girl, but as I grew up I felt I was a boy. Today I totally feel like a man,” he said.
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Okay, so you feel like a man. So … is that what you’ll check off on the census form? We are having trouble following your assertion that you feel like a man now that you are allowed to refer to yourself as something other than a man.
At any rate, we are pleased to report that Nepal is rapidly becoming one of the best places for queers in South Asia. Along with trans-friendly policies regarding birth certificates, the country is expected to recommend legalizing marriage for gay couples soon.
Will Nepal become a hotspot for gay tourism dollars? As a matter of fact, it already is.
Fitz
“Check out this confusing quote from Dilu Buduja: “I was born as a girl, but as I grew up I felt I was a boy. Today I totally feel like a man,” he said.”
What confuses you about this quote?
He felt that he was a boy, though his body disagreed.
As he aged, the boy became a man.
matt baume
@Fitz: It is confusing because the article is about accommodating people who do not want to identify as men or women.
Red Meat
Sorry to break the news to all transsexuals and transvestites around the world but there are only TWO genders. If you want to dress like the opposite sex that is fine – that’s all socially constructed anyway.
You want to change genders or get fake boobs through science? Sorry but no I will not support you. I wanted green eyes but I was born with brown eyes. I wish I had two penises so that I could increase my orgasms a week. I wish I could keep my athletic build without working out but I can’t. Unless… I turn to science, which can provide me with all of the above yet I don’t. Why? Well like a great songstress said: I was born this way.
xanni
“Red Meat” sounds like a typical angry white male teabagger whose power is fading away oh so fast…probably a person with bags of fat here and there (from meat eating) and premature aging. :[ not hot for the clubs.
Anyway, I there’s a 3rd gender, and there’re not just 2 genders. There’s a continuum with people with various degrees of masculine and feminine, androgynes, etc. The old school western countries, Judo-Christian view is: 2 genders. The rest of the world mostly had acceptance for more than 2 all the way during the times. People who say there’re only 2 genders ARE NO DIFFERENT FROM HOMOPHOBOES WHO TRY TO BAN GAY MARRIAGE, as square and hateful minded.
Ginasf
@Red Meat: Correction, you weren’t born that bigoted and ignorant, you worked at it.
RTM
The Indian Census 2011 also had an option for people to pick the Other gender category.
http://www.censusindia.gov.in/2011-Schedule/Shedules/English_Household_schedule.pdf
The provisional results did not estimate the number of people who opted for that category. The full results should have that.
mbsaravana
What ever the extra options are.. that is good if one is not a man or woman. But stating that one is Nepalese if he is not a man or woman may hurt the sentiments of concerned citizens.