Kathmandu 

Bipin Dhimal, a third gender, had died at the age of 27. Dhimal, who was reportedly taking hormone therapy and was battling various health issues including thyroid problem, died at KMC Hospital, said his friends.

“Only two months ago, he said that I might not live anymore,” said his friend to Pahichan, “There was no one to advise him not to take a hormone therapy. They only encouraged him to resort to it.”

Bipin used to undergo a hormone therapy to look beautiful, and was planning to take a gender reassignment surgery, said he said.

Non-governmental organisations working for the rights of the sexual and gender minorities (SGM), including the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), the Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities-Nepal (FSGMN) and Cruiseaids Nepal, have been accused of promoting gender reassignment and hormone therapy. They used to incite Bipin to undergo a gender reassignment therapy, and a hormone therapy, said SGM members close to him.

“There was no one to give him the right advice. He was under pressure due to those who are inciting him to go for gender reassignment,” said his third gender friends, “he was told that he had taken hair removal medication.”

Gender reassignment and hormone therapy come with the potential side effects to the extremity of death in some cases. Last year, two people, who reportedly underwent the treatments, died.

Illegal operation of hormone clinics

Organisations, including the BDS, are reportedly involved in promoting gender reassignment and hormone therapy, claiming that these procedures would reduce discrimination and stigma.

They have launched a campaign to legalise these treatments, which are illegal under the Constitution of Nepal. “First they incite people to eat, then they call it a problem and get funds from donors,” said a member of the community, “they don’t care if someone lives or dies.”

Surendra Pandey, a prominent SGM activist and secretary of Mayako Pahichan Nepal, a SGM organisation, said that things like hormone therapy and gender reassignment are serious issues. “These treatments have both good and bad sides. But they also come with adverse side effects, responsible organisations should also talk openly about their serious side effects,” he wrote on Facebook.