Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

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Bhumika Shrestha has become Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker, confirmed by the Election Commission as a proportional representation MP from the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party. The milestone is celebrated as a major achievement for Nepal's LGBTQ community and rights advocates.

Draped in garlands, Bhumika Shrestha on Monday became Nepal’s first transgender woman lawmaker, marking a proud milestone for the marginalised community in the Himalayan nation. Nepal’s Election Commission confirmed the 37-year-old as a proportional representation MP from the centrist Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP), which won a majority in parliament with 182 seats last week. “I am very excited but also feel the responsibility on my shoulders,” said Shrestha, an LGBTQ rights advocate. “Our...