Esan Regmi (born 1988) is a prominent Nepali

intersex Intersex people are those born with any of several sex characteristics, including chromosome patterns, gonads, or genitals that, according to the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binar ...

man and

intersex human rights Intersex people are born with sex characteristics, such as chromosomes, gonads, or genitals, that, according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, "do not fit typical binary notions of male or female bodies." Intersex pe ...

activist. He founded Nepal's first and only intersex-led organization called Campaign for Change back in 2017, and he is one of the co founders of International

NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...

Intersex Asia Intersex Asia is a pan-Asian intersex human rights organization, established in 2018 and registered in Taiwan. History Intersex Asia was established at the First Asian Intersex Forum on February 10, 2018, in Bangkok, Thailand. The forum brough ...

Early life

Regmi was born in

Bajura Bajura District ( ), a part of Sudurpashchim Province, is one of the seventy-seven districts of Nepal. The district, with Martadi (today part of Badimalika municipality) as its district headquarters, covers an area of and had a population o ...

, Nepal, in 1988. He describes the region around Bajura as remote, mountainous, and conservative. Regmi was raised female but developed male characteristics during puberty, resulting in stigma, discrimination and claims of 'fake' identity in education and employment. He describes travelling to India for medical treatment, and discussion about being sent to be part of a kinnar or

hijra Hijra, Hijrah, Hegira, Hejira, Hijrat or Hijri may refer to: Islam * Hijrah (also ''Hejira'' or ''Hegira''), the migration of Muhammad from Mecca to Medina in 622 CE * Migration to Abyssinia or First Hegira, of Muhammad's followers in 615 CE * L ...

community. Regmi was loved by his family, and studied at home, but his mental health suffered.

Activism

Regmi became an intersex human rights activist in 2011, initially with

Blue Diamond Society The Blue Diamond Society (BDS; Nepali: नील हीरा समाज) is an LGBT rights organization in Nepal. It was established in 2001 to advocate for change in the existing laws against homosexuality and to advocate for the rights of N ...

, before later establishing Campaign for Change and jointly establishing Intersex Asia. He organized and led first national workshop for intersex people in 2016, supported by the

UNDP The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

. Regmi has worked with

Zwischengeschlecht Zwischengeschlecht (literally "between sexes") is a human rights advocacy group campaigning on intersex bodily autonomy issues. The group demonstrates outside medical events where surgical interventions are discussed or performed, engages with th ...

on submissions to the United Nations leading to calls for change to medical and social systems in Nepal. He speaks nationally and internationally on intersex rights.

Selected bibliography

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References

Living people Intersex rights activists Intersex rights in Nepal Intersex men Intersex writers 1988 births People from Bajura District {{Nepal-bio-stub