The first person I met at the Blue Diamond Society (BDS) was Bhumika Shrestha. She’s known as the face of the transgender movement in Nepal, was the first person to change their gender to “other” on their passport, and is the first officially sworn transgender member of the Nepali Congress.

Bhumika Shrestha from  http://queer-ink.com/an-interview-with-bhumika-shrestha

           I knew of her long before my trip to Nepal and I was thrilled to meet her. She introduced me to everyone in the building and immediately made me feel welcome. There I officially met Parsu Ram, the deputy director of the Blue Diamond Society and the person I interviewed last quarter about transgender activism. I spent my first day discussing possible projects with him and another volunteer there. It was decided that the other volunteer, Kawin, and I would spend the next few weeks working on an article for the Himalayan Times about marriage equality. When we went to discuss the legal aspects of marriage equality with the BDS lawyer, we were informed that he received an email from Nepal’s Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare; a branch of the government that is concerned with disadvantaged groups. They asked BDS to provide information, research, and sources that would be persuasive of legalizing marriage equality. The lawyer passed this task on to me and Kawin. This week I will be completing a response to the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Welfare, finding people to interview for the article for the Himalayan Times, and attending meetings for future projects.

             The Blue Diamond Society can sometimes feel chaotic with the various projects taking place, overlapping timelines, and last minute assignments, but every person I’ve encountered there is extremely passionate and committed to creating a more inclusive Nepal and works together like a family. I’m very excited to continue working with BDS and to see what opportunities lie ahead.