Situation of third gender in Pokhara Valley

Abstract

This study aims to find out the situation of third gender (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Intersexual) people living in Pokhara Valley. The specific objectives of this study are: to know the socio-economic and to explore stigmazation society and identity discrimination faced by third gender people. For this purpose, selfadministered interview were taken out by eighteen seven respondents in Pokhara

Valley. The interview was taken by using snow ball sampling method. Among them

10 particular respondents were selected for case studies.

Although there were change of society and their behavior towards third gender people, still they are getting lots of problems. Most of the respondents had nothing as their ownership. Respondents were involved in sex work as their main occupation while two fifth searched stage show program. It is found that there were some positive changes about third gender that more than three fourth of the respondents were job holder. Third gender people from ethnic group were highly disclosed their gender identity comparative to other castes. However, more than half of the respondents never wanted to expose their own identity. All of them have reported that main cause of hiding own gender identity was the fear of ignorance from family. Similarly, There were less no. of third gender respondents who arrested by police just due to their gender identity. Further, half of the respondents got normal behavior from family. In context of last election, there were more than half respondents who did not have voting card but very few had voting card with their own gender identity. More than half of the respondents never informed about their own gender identity to physicians during checkup because the respondents were getting problem of ignorance for checkup. Very few respondents had citizenship card with their own gender identity. Most of the respondents responded that they did not have rule of homophobia at school. It means there were no any securities about their right. But there were found that disclosed respondents felt safety than hidden respondents at school. Almost all respondents have view about positive social change about them. Majority of third gender people used drug/alcohol. Most of the respondents did not have knowledge about their health. This study suggests the state to provide easy environment for citizenship card to third gender people according to their gender identification. State should also provide opportunity for work in different sector as normal people. State should provide equal rights to the third gender people like other people.