Monika: Today We are going to the beautiful country of Nepal where my guest comes from. Rukshana Kapali is a transgender activist, blogger, and writer. Hello Rukshana!
Rukshana: Hello Monika. Thank you for having me in your blog.
Monika: Could you say a few words about yourself?
Rukshana: I am Rukshana Kapali. I am 22 years old. I am a trans woman. I come from the Newa ethnic nation of Nepal. I am currently doing my Bachelor’s degree in Law at Purbanchal University and Bachelor’s degree in Linguistics at Tribhuvan University. I aspire to be both a lawyer and linguist. I am also the Executive Director at Queer Youth Group, a not-for-profit working for SOGIESC rights.
My work involves policy advocacy and the advancement of SOGIESC rights in Nepal. I also work to create resources about SOGIESC issues, mostly in Nepal Bhasa and Nepali, and also in English. I am a part of the Nepal Bhasa movement and advocate for reinstating Nepal Bhasa as an official language in Nepal. I am also involved and enthusiastic about the upliftment of my native language Nepal Bhasa. I am a language nerd and I love learning new languages. However, I haven't been able to actively engage in language learning.