LGBT rights get prime time in Nepal

TITLE: Nepal LGBT radio show

Reporter: Sunil Neupane
INTRO:
Nepals law recognizes a third gender and the countr is one its wa to !ecoming the "irst South
#sia countr to allow same$se% marriage&
Sunil 'ant(the countries "irst openl ga mem!er o" parliament is largel responsi!le "or the
changes&
)e has "ounded a tra*el agenc "ocusing on LGBT couples thin+ing o" ting the +not in Nepal,
started a prime time T- station and now a national radio program&
Sunil Neupane went along to see the program !eing recorded&
TEXT
S./ 0 sound o" studio, recording o" the program
Transgender women Bishnu #dhi+ari is !us recording the dail radio program Pa-hi-chaan,or
Identity& Its !roadcast on 01 .2 stations across the countr&
BIS)N3 4LI' 0 5.E2#LE, NE'#LI6 In this program we usuall tal+ a!out political rights,
discrimination in education, health and man more issues& 7e inter*iew mem!ers o" 'arliament,
lawers, teachers and acti*ists&8
S./ 9 Opening sound o" the program
She sas the ha*e a great connection with their listeners&
BIS)N3 4LI' 5.E2#LE, NE'#LI6: :7e ha*e a toll "ree num!er the can call& 7e get more
calls each da& 2an o" the callers want to come to our o""ice and want to share their pro!lem
with us& #"ter listening to our program some o" the people come to our o""ice with their parents
"or counseling&8
S./ ; sound o" the o""ice
The program is running ! the rights group Blue <iamond Societ&
2anisha <ha+al is with the group&
2#NIS)# 4LI' 0 5.E2#LE, ENGLIS)6: :It helps us to change the perception o" the people
towards the LGBT communit& Be"ore, the had negati*e thoughts towards the LGBT
communit& But when we telecast our program, peoples thin+ing started to change and there has
!een a positi*e change towards our communit& #"ter listening the program, some "amil
mem!er ha*e *isited Blue <iamond Societ and the now can accept their childs se%ual
identit&8
The program was designed ! the countries "irst openl ga parliamentarian Sunil 'ant&
S3NIL 4LI' 0 52#LE, ENGLIS)6 =ournalists ha*e !een *er "riendl to LGBT issues, !ut it is
"act that the ne*er understood LGBT issues in$depth enough& So it was +ind o" little "rustrating
"or us a"ter so man times we tried !ecause >ournalist are !us on their area, their !eat& So the
could ne*er gi*e enough time to understand LGBT issues& So idea was that wh not we tr our
own media? Then we designed our program&
S./ @ sound o" meeting
Teachers are one o" the shows target groups&
RB Thapa a high school teacher is o"ten inter*iewed on the show and as a result has changed his
*iews&
T)#'# 4LI' 0 52#LE, NE'#LI6 :One o" m own children is third gender& #t the !eginning, I
was *er an%ious a!out it& Now, I am not& I used to !e ner*ous a!out a!out people would thin+
a!out m child& 7e used to thin+ that we +new e*erthing& Now I realized that I was completel
wrong regarding the issue and the communit& I came to +now that I was misin"ormed&8
.or #sia 4alling this report is produce ! Sunil Neupane "rom Aathmandu