Nepal’s LGBTQ community celebrates first transgender woman lawmaker

South China Morning PostCenter-RightEN 1 min read 100% complete by Agence France-PresseMarch 16, 2026 at 04:00 PM

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Bhumika Shrestha became Nepal's first transgender woman lawmaker on Monday, marking a significant milestone for the LGBTQ community in the country. The 37-year-old was confirmed as a proportional representation MP from the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) following the March 5 elections. Shrestha, an LGBTQ rights advocate, expressed excitement and a sense of responsibility to address the community's issues in parliament. The RSP, led by Balendra Shah, secured a majority in the House of Representatives, which is the first poll since the anti-corruption protests last year. Shrestha's election is expected to bring greater focus to LGBTQ rights and policies in Nepal.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Blue Diamond Society 30% Balendra Shah 40% Election Commission 50% House of Representatives 50% Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) ×370% Nepal ×280% Bhumika Shrestha ×390%

Keywords

lgbtq community 100% transgender woman 100% lawmaker 90% nepal 90% bhumika shrestha 80% proportional representation 70% rastriya swatantra party 70% lgbtq rights 60% parliament 50% election 50%

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Very Positive

Score: 0.70

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South China Morning Post

Political Lean

Center-Right (0.50)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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lgbtq community transgender woman lawmaker nepal bhumika shrestha proportional representation rastriya swatantra party lgbtq rights parliament election

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