Written by: Bipana Shrestha - 24002, Grade X
Posted on: 26 May, 2021
Homophobia is the fear, hatred, and discomfort towards homosexual people. Homophobia in Nepal is not talked about openly. Nepal is still a conservative country. In recent years, this topic has been brought to light. However, in the context of Nepal Homophobia is still not openly explored. On the subject of Homosexuality, Nepal is not as liberal as other countries. The adults and elderly people of Nepal are conservative and they don’t accept homosexuality.
Religion has previously been found to be a source of homophobia. According to certain religions, homosexual affection is taken as a sin. And the people who follow such religions will have this as their cultural understanding which is very wrong, (I am not generalizing). There are so many people who use their religion to argue that the LGBTQ + don’t deserve the same rights and should not be treated the same as others. And there are also people who think that there should not be any demonstrations such as protest movements like the Gay Pride Parade when there is no straight pride parade. But this ignores the fact that one group is mistreated and underprivileged, and is striving for basic human rights. There are so many homosexual and transgender people that are left by their families and are forced to live on the streets facing various forms of prejudice and abuse. This is not the way to a positive and effective society. People are being bullied for being gay. It is very unlawful. Even the children and adults are not being treated equally in school. But every child should be treated equally. They have a right to feel safe in their own zone, in their classrooms. Just a few months ago a girl who is basically a transwoman got verbally abused just because she is a transgender. Some people really disrespect her and make fun of her because of her sexuality. She was very viral on social media however people seem to have a problem with her videos and used to say harsh words on social media just because she did whatever she likes to do. If that’s the case then people should ignore her videos rather than commenting on her appearance. People think that third-gender people are a bit different than normal ones. It’s the world that thinks that third-gender people are different.
People now also don't stand and speak up for gay rights. People don't speak out in support of LGBT rights or when someone else is acting homophobically. The fact that homosexuality is unnatural does not necessarily imply that it is wrong. Many things may go against what we consider natural, but as long as they do not harm anyone, they should be accepted and respected. They should not be treated as if they have done something wrong. People should learn to accept them. People should stand next to them and fight together for their rights. Every individual should learn to understand and appreciate the fact that everyone deserves to be able to live their lives without fear of being judged for who they are.
