'I regret taking the 3rd gender citizenship' says Nepali transgender manBadri Pun

Badri Pun (Dilu Buduja) 3rd gender citizenship card. See top right red box (Sex: Third)

Article by Badri Pun - President of Inclusive Forum Nepal

Badri Pun was born in a female body as Dilu Buduja. As she grew, she realized that she was a transman ( a man trapped inside a womans body). Since then, she preferred to be addressed with male pronouns and  was actively involved with the lesbian, bisexual woman and transman (LBT) community in Nepal.

In 2005, he joined Blue Diamond Society as a member involved in programs. While the international press keeps glorifying  Nepal's decision to grant third gender citizenship cards, Badri is regretting his decision to take it.

Read below the interview with Badri.

Who can apply for 3rd gender citizenship in Nepal?

Initially the Nepali government gave the option of 'Teesro' which means third gender to us. At this time, gay males did not choose this option because they said only transgender men (like me) and transgender women (hijra/metis) should apply for 3rd gender citizenship as they were born in another physical body. Later, the government changed the rule and said that all members of the LGBTI umbrella could take the option 'Others' in their citizenship card. At this time, most of the gay males ran away. They did not want to be legally and officially recognized as Others and they gave excuses like it would family problems, job problems, etc. The founder of Blue Diamond Society Sunil Babu Panta was fighting so strongly for 3rd gender citizenship but after the government finally gave us this option, neither he nor other prominent members in his organization have applied for 3rd gender citizenship.

Almost all international media who have extensively written about Nepal's third gender citizenship cards assume that it only applies to transgender people (those who do not identify with their biological body). Why are they not aware that anyone from the Nepali LGBTI community can apply for 'Others'?

Sunil Babu Panta needs to give a clarification on this issue because he is the one who raised the issue of third gender citizenship.

Badri's 3rd gender citizenship card. Top Right Red Box reads Teesro (third) in Nepali script

Why did you decide to take the Third Gender citizenship? 

I got my new citizenship card in 2068 (Nepali date) during the month of Baisakh. I was innocent and did not realize what a mistake it could be. How the future would change? I thought all the 100,000 + members of Nepal's LGBTI community would take the citizenship but it never happened. Only me and Bishnu Adhikari were among the first to get it after a long struggle. Three years ago some others tried but they were not given however things have become easier and they can get the 3rd gender citizenship today. Still they are avoiding to take it and make excuses such as, 'I went so many times to the CDO but they are harassing me and not giving'. At that time, I was with Blue Diamond Society (BDS). Sunil Babu Panta urged us to take the citizenship saying since we benefited from a job from BDS, we should take the citizenship so I went to take it.
After I got it, I was so excited. I thought that I could now legally marry a straight woman. I thought the government and civil society would also support me. Later I started to ask myself, why Panta himself has not taken it? The other metis (transwomen) also sensed that something was wrong.

As of now, I am only aware of Bhumika Shrestha and two transgenders from Kailali and Nuwakot district taking the 3rd gender citizenship. I want to know why the people in higher posts in Blue Diamond Society have still not taken the citizenship despite all their connections with politicians, UNDP, etc. Don't tell me that they have tried and tried and been refused.  I want to see the list of all the transgenders in Nepal who have taken the citizenship. BDS claims there are thousands and thousands of transgenders in Nepal who they are supporting. Where are their third gender citizenship cards. It is strange that BDS started the whole issue of third gender citizenship, and now all their prominent people are avoiding it.

Passport Reads F (Female) which creates a conflict in Identity documents

Do you regret your decision?

Yes I regret my decision very much. Civil society has not accepted me. They say, 'You are a normal healthy woman. You have breasts and reproductive capacities. What is this Teesro Linga (Third gender). People do not understand. My family was very unhappy about my new citizenship. Also there is no use of third gender card if the government does not support us in employment, medical facilities, law and education. It is meaningless.

I am not able to work abroad because most countries do not have an option of third gender. My passport says Female and my Nepali citizenship card says Teesro (Third). Now the Nepali government has allowed the option of Others in passport however other countries do not have it. So how can I work there legally? I do not want to only go as a tourist.

The Nepali government should open a hospital for transgenders to undergo sexual reassignment surgeries.

But Sunil Babu Panta has said in this interview that Nepali transgenders are very happy with their own body. Like Western transpeople, they did not want to modify their bodies. 

It is not true at all. In fact, some transgender women staff in Blue Diamond Society have already done breast surgeries in Thailand. A few have even constructed vaginas. Many are taking hormones for breast augmentation. Maybe Sunil Babu is not aware of his staff who have modified their bodies. We are transgender people. If I had the money, even I would want to do a SRS (sex reassignment surgery).

The only transgenders who are afraid to modify their bodies are the transgender women who live duplicate lives. In Kathmandu, they dress in a female get up, while they play a male role back home. They have families, wives and children in the villages. Obviously, they can't alter their bodies. When they return to villages, they go back as a male.

Can this issue with your third gender citizenship be resolved so you can work abroad or even find jobs easily in Nepal?

If I had the choice, I would like my passport to be Male, my citizenship card also to be Male, and to modify my body into a male one. No one will give it to me. The people at the CDO office will see my feminine body, my female high-pitched voice. I don't know myself what is third gender. I do not like this term. I feel like a male in every way but was born in this womens body. I don't like this term third gender.

But I have no choice. This is my life. No Job.  No Marriage. No opportunity.  No respect.
But I won't stop fighting for the cause.  I have dedicated my life to the LGBT cause.