Who We Are
Sunil Babu Pant
FOUNDER
Sunil Babu Pant is the founder of Blue Diamond Society. He sparked the movement for LGBTIQ+ rights in 2001 and became the first openly gay Member of Parliament in Nepal, serving from 2008-2012. Pant hosted a television talk show on LGBT rights called Pahichaan for two years. In 2006, he was among the 29 Human Rights leaders who were signatories of the Yogyakarta Principles – a human rights document that included new grounds for gender expression and sex characteristics. In 2007, Pant and fellow human rights activists filed the landmark case Sunil Babu Pant and Others v. Government of Nepal and Others to push for legislation that recognized third genders in Nepal and decriminalized homosexuality and same-sex marriage. This activism ultimately earned him a nomination for the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize.
Manisha Dhakal
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Manisha Dhakal is the Executive Director and a founding member of BDS. Manisha was an active participant in the Supreme Court hearing in 2007, speaking openly about her experiences of violence, discrimination and stigmatization as a trans woman. She is one of the founding members of the Asia-Pacific Transgender Network, where she represents South Asia. She is one of the co-chairs of the ILGA Asia board, and a board member of IRGT, a global network for trans women and HIV. In 2010, she was awarded the Nai Ram Laxmi National Award for her contributions to the LGBT movement in Nepal, and she is also a Human Rights Campaign global innovator. Manisha holds a master’s degree in finance from Shanker Dev College, Kathmandu.
Pinky Gurung
PRESIDENT
Pinky Gurung is the current President of BDS and one of its founding members. She is a transgender woman and has been an active supporter of the LGBTIQ+ rights movement in Nepal since 2001. Gurung has served as the chairperson of the BDS board since 2009 and she ran as a candidate for the Naya Shakti Nepal Party in the 2017 federal parliament election. As a central member of the Socialist Party, she remains active in politics that work for LGBTIQ+ communities. Pinky is a founding member of the FSGMN, Mitini Nepal and Pink Triangle Nepal. As a former member of the Country Coordination Committee, she brings extensive knowledge and experience to engage in social work, education, community development, advocacy work and policy change in Nepal.
Testimonials
From Our Supporters
“I decided early on to do and say what I think is right for me. Many people from our community continue to live double lives. But I’ve never tried to hide my identity. This is me.”
Anjali Lama
Transgender Model
“I got to know more about myself through Blue Diamond Society … [they] gave me the encouragement I needed. I took part in many of their programs. And one of them was a skill development program where I learned about beauty, hair and makeup. That gave me the realisation to follow my dream and passion.”
Sophie Sunuwar
Makeup artist
“I never tried to keep myself away from the [LGBTIQ+ community]. Just because the society might think or say something, it does not mean you won’t talk, walk together or work with third gender people.”
Malvika Subba
Media personality
“Before I came into contact with the Blue Diamond Society, I did not understand my sexuality. No one had counselled me about being LGBTI. I lived in a village and I had never seen LGBTI people before. After I joined the Blue Diamond Society, I realised who I truly am and decided to embrace my gender identity.”
Meghna Lama
Restaurant Owner
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