Bhumika Shrestha becomes Nepal’s first openly trans Member of Parliament

Nepal has appointed its first openly transgender lawmaker, marking a significant milestone for LGBTQ+ representation in the country’s politics.

The Election Commission confirmed that activist and actress Bhumika Shrestha will sit in the House of Representatives as a Member of Parliament for the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party, which secured 182 seats in this month’s elections.

“I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders,” the 37‑year‑old told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “Our constitution has provisions for our community, but they have not translated to laws and policies. Our community expects me to raise our issues.”

Shrestha has long been a prominent figure in Nepal’s LGBTQ+ rights movement. She has worked closely with the advocacy group Blue Diamond Society and played a key role in the campaign that led to the recognition of a third gender category on official documents. She was the first Nepali citizen to travel using these updated identity papers.

Her work has received international recognition. In 2019, policy platform Apolitical named her among the Most Influential People in Global Policy, and in 2022 she received the U.S. Department of State’s International Women of Courage Award for her LGBTQ+ rights advocacy.

The Rastriya Swatantra Party’s rise follows deadly anti‑corruption protests last September that brought down the previous government. In the March 5 election, the party won 125 of 165 directly elected seats in the 275‑member House of Representatives and an additional 57 seats through proportional representation.

Although Nepal is often cited for progressive legal protections for LGBTQ+ people, AFP reports that Shrestha is the first openly LGBTQ+ person to hold public office in the country since 2008.

Supporters celebrated her appointment at the Blue Diamond Society office in Kathmandu, presenting her with flowers and gifts. The organization’s president, Umisha Pandey, told AFP that Shrestha’s presence in parliament will bring lived experience into lawmaking.

“Our pains, our sufferings, our feeling, our stories, and our every problem is only understood by us, not by others,” Pandey said, expressing hope that Shrestha’s voice in the legislature will lead to stronger protections and more inclusive policies for Nepal’s LGBTQ+ communities.