The title of this recording is "Roshan Mahato". It was recorded in Wellington Town Hall, 101 Wakefield Street, Wellington on the 16th March 2011. Roshan Mahato is being interviewed by Jim Whitman.  Their names are spelt correctly but may appear incorrectly spelt later in the document. The duration of the recording is 8 minutes. A list of correctly spelt content keywords and tags can be found at the end of this document. A brief description of the recording is: In this podcast Roshan Mahato from Nepal talks about attending the human rights conference. The content in the recording covers the 2010s decade. A brief summary of the recording is: This summary covers a recording made on March 16, 2011, at the Wellington Town Hall in Wellington, New Zealand, where Roshan Mahato from Nepal was interviewed by Jim Whitman. The central theme of the interview was Mahato's experience attending a human rights conference and discussing the LGBTQ+ rights movement in Nepal. Mahato begins the conversation expressing enthusiasm about the insights gained from the conference and the new knowledge that could be shared with friends back in Nepal. The discussion then moves to the legal status of LGBTQ+ individuals in Nepal. Mahato describes a Supreme Court order from 2007 that directed the Nepali government to provide equal rights to LGBTQ+ individuals, including the legalization of same-sex marriage. However, Mahato notes that despite this order, the government has not fully implemented the mandated changes. The conversation sheds light on the involvement of a member of parliament (MP) from the LGBTQ+ community who is actively striving to include gender and sexual rights in a new constitution being drafted at the time. This MP is also mentioned as being a significant speaker at an upcoming event that Friday, noted for being the first openly gay person in the Nepalese parliament. Turning to societal attitudes, Mahato speaks about the decrease in police persecution of LGBTQ+ individuals following the Supreme Court's order, leading to slightly improved safety. By contrast, Wellington, and New Zealand more broadly, is presented as a markedly more accepting environment, where individuals can openly express their relationships without fear. In terms of support, Mahato highlights the role of international advocacy and solidarity, referencing a visit to Nepal by a transgender MP from New Zealand, who met with political leaders and human rights officials in Nepal to raise awareness and support for the LGBTQ+ community. The relationship between Nepal and New Zealand is framed as amicable and influential due to historical ties, further suggesting that New Zealand’s progressive stance on LGBTQ+ rights could serve as a model for Nepal. Mahato also provides a personal account as a sociology student, revealing the pervasive discrimination in Nepal’s educational and military institutions, where individuals are often denied admission or discharged based on their sexual orientation or gender identity. This discrimination is linked to broader social issues, including the prevalence of HIV due to unsafe sex work practices within the transgender community. The discussion culminates with Mahato's plan for the remainder of the conference, including attending sporting events and a three-day conference, followed by a visit to Auckland. Mahato intends to apply the knowledge and experiences gained in New Zealand to advocate for the LGBTQ+ community back in Nepal. Interestingly, Mahato also alludes to a presentation by a colleague who was discharged from the military for being lesbian, underlining the power of personal stories in advocating for change and tolerance. The recording concludes with Mahato suggesting that outreach from LGBTQ+ personnel in the New Zealand Police or Armed Forces to their counterparts in Nepal could be instrumental in promoting greater acceptance and understanding. The full transcription of the recording follows.  It includes timestamps every thirty seconds in the format [HH:MM:SS].  The transcription begins:  What? How did you feel about the first session this morning? Oh, it's really fantastic and interesting. Um, it's really good in participating as a person from Nepal. Um, did it say anything that helped you to understand what you might do next? When you go back to Nepal, I understand that you're a game. You're perhaps a game. Uh, that [00:00:30] means, uh, I can see with my friends that I got new knowledge in New Zealand and a and a different knowledge. What is the legality for being gay in Nepal? Ok, um, in 2007, our Supreme Court of Nepal, they gave order to the government for [00:01:00] equal opportunity, opportunity to LGBTI and same sex marriage and for everything, like men and all men. But the government, they are not applying aid. It's very difficult. So then then then uh uh right now, uh, current moment, we are making a new constitution in file. Then there is one [00:01:30] MP F member from gay community, and he is trying to include every agenda of sexual and gender marriage. I think our MP from Nepal, he is coming today, and he is also key Speaker of Friday. I read something about him. He he's a new and also gay that he first time coming off as a gay member in Nepal. Parliament. First time [00:02:00] to the police. Persecute you? Um, yes, sometimes not me, but you know, my friends, a lot of friends, uh, the state and put in prison. Yeah, they used to put in prison, but right now, after Supreme Court order is reduced. So it's it's a little bit safer. Since the courts have [00:02:30] acted coming to Wellington it it can be a lot easier to be gay here. What would you like to hear from Wellington people, or or people from New Zealand or the kind of support you'd like Like to say, You know, Wellington is very clean and beautiful and ocean and people are very, very, you know, good, because they respect each other and for gay people. And it's very easy [00:03:00] to, you know, to tell them that she's my girlfriend. He's my boyfriend. It's very easy to tell, you know, But in a we don't have, we cannot say that he's my girlfriend. He's my boyfriend. We cannot introduce. It's very difficult, but here it's very easy. What would you like. What kind of help can people in New Zealand give people in Nepal? Um, yeah, just like I want to tell I be for two years. [00:03:30] Uh, you know, as the first trans MP of New Zealand, she she went to Nepal and made lots of political leaders and also senior human rights official. Then, you know, she aware that sexual and gender man who really help from and, uh, they want to include their agenda in new constitution like this New Zealand, you know? [00:04:00] So you see New Zealand as a model? Yeah, because, you know, in Nepal and New Zealand we have very good relation because of in Man Hilary. So we really need different kinds of support, which which will help for our new constitution and for our community, since there is still discrimination. So New Zealand government or they can't help to [00:04:30] the GB i in different way. Yes. So people who visit from New Zealand to Nepal, people who are politicians or business people if they're positive about the sexual agenda, the identity, the agenda Yeah, they were very negative. But you know, slowly it's changing because of lobby because of them. We do different kinds of presentation [00:05:00] regarding sexuality. It was very difficult. But now it's slowly. It's going to change, but we have to do last last thing still. Now, what are you looking forward to in this conference? What's the next dream you're going to go to? Yeah, Firstly, um, I I'm I took part in drawing sports. Then. Secondly, I'm going to, uh, participate [00:05:30] in three days conference. And after I'm going to spend one week in Auckland. So here, um, this I'm getting different kinds of knowledge. Not only, but here is geographical movement. Then, you know, we believe that New Zealand is a developed country, but Nepal is pretty poor and developing country. So when I back to my country, whatever I learn [00:06:00] here, I can apply in my daily work for our community so it will help to push government and for society. I'm also a student of sociology and, you know, in our University of Nepal, it's really very difficult to get admission, admit, you know, to get enrolled in college if they see transgender. He is transgender lesbian, you know, they [00:06:30] they will not get take admission and also some, you know, Polish army. They are fired from army. If police officer know that she making relation with lesbian or gay, they know more job so and a lot of transgender They are going to street for sex order and due to sex. Or there is also, you know, a high rate of HIV. So it's very difficult. Would it help if [00:07:00] that in in this conference there are gay and lesbian police people? Would it help if some of those visited Nepal and talked to people there? Yeah, she is lesbian. Then she we army and she fired from army. Then she kept in jail 60 days. Then she is also coming here with me. Then she is going to do presentation that How did [00:07:30] she join in Army? How did she fired from Army? He is doing so. It will be great. So a lot will know that her story So a lot of will lobby her story so it will help to for our movement. You could because of that story, ask for help from the army people here who are gay, Um, and for a gay and lesbian and police [00:08:00] who are gay and lesbian, perhaps to to to argue the case for greater tolerance in Nepal. The full transcription of the recording ends. A list of keywords/tags describing the recording follow. These tags contain the correct spellings of names and places which may have been incorrectly spelt earlier in the document. The tags are seperated by a semi-colon: 2010s ; Asia Pacific Outgames ; Asia Pacific Outgames (2011) ; Japan ; Job ; LGBT ; Nepal ; Pacific ; People ; Roshan Mahato ; Stuff ; Wellington ; Wellington Town Hall ; advocate ; agenda ; army ; change ; community ; conference ; courts ; dance ; discrimination ; dream ; fat ; fire ; friends ; gay ; gender ; government ; human rights ; identity ; knowledge ; lesbian ; march ; marriage ; opportunity ; other ; police ; poverty ; prison ; respect ; sex ; sexuality ; stigma ; support ; time ; tolerance ; transgender ; university ; work. The original recording can be heard at this website https://www.pridenz.com/apog_roshan_mahato.html. The master recording is also archived at the Alexander Turnbull Library in Wellington, New Zealand.  For more details visit their website https://tiaki.natlib.govt.nz/#details=ecatalogue.1089481. Please note that this document may contain errors or omissions - you should always refer back to the original recording to confirm content.