Rewati Poudel, a director at the Department of Passports, handed the passport to Shahi on Monday and congratulated her.  Shahi hoped this milestone would provide momentum to the LGBTI movement in Nepal and would pave way for better reforms, “Today is a significant day and I hope the younger generation is encouraged by it,” said Shahi

Australia and New Zealand are the only two countries in the world that issue passports with ‘x’ as an option for people who do not identify as male or female. Earlier this year, Nepal had amended the Passport Regulations, allowing ‘other’ as one of the gender categories. It is the only country in the world to do so, according to activists.

Nepal added a third gender category to census and the citizenship card in 2011, after which gay advocates started negotiating with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Nepal has the track record of being one of the most progressive countries when it comes to gay rights in South Asia.

The Interim Constitution prohibits discrimination on the ground of sexual orientation. In 2007, the Supreme Court directed the government to amend laws that discriminate against LGBTI citizens. Sunil Babu Pant became the first gay parliamentarian in Nepal’s first Constituent Assembly, in 2008. The apex court in 2012 recognised live-in relationships for a lesbian couple.

Photos by Kiran Panday