Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or

idea. What prompted your thinking? How did you respond to it?
What was the outcome? How did it affect you, and what did you
learn from it?

Born into a typical Nepalese family with not so open-minded culture, I

saw rigidity in the minds of Nepalese. Be it regarding the menstrual
cycle, providing equality, or the LGBTQ+ community, Nepalese are rigid
and unwilling to adapt to modern society.

Growing up, I always believed that members of the LGBTQ community

were people we shouldn't hang out with because I knew so little or
nothing about it, and my family and I never talked openly about issues
like these. I used to quickly break eye contact with people who, in my
opinion, didn't seem "normal,". But one day, after seeing a post on
social media by a renowned American doctor explaining that being a
part of the LGBTQ community is normal, my opinion changed. After
doing some research on the subject, I concluded that I had made the
mistake of judging a book by its cover.

After realizing my error, I have been a pro-LGBTQ activist ever since. I

also gave my friends, who also didn't know much about this
community, an explanation of what it actually is and how it fits into our
society. They were convinced by my explanation. Being a health care
professional, my mother didn't require much explanation on this
subject, and I tried to persuade my father that they are a part of our
society and shouldn't be excluded in any way.
Even though I can only persuade a small portion of the people around
me, I have faith that those people will persuade still more, and so on.
All of us have the capacity to change, and we ought to do so as time
goes on. Nelson Mandela once said, "Times change, and we must
change, too." Being an active supporter of the LGBTQ community has
given me the freedom to develop close relationships with a wider
variety of people and has helped me loosen my grip on gender roles
and stereotypes.

In addition to that, it has also given me the chance to interact with a

group of people I might not have otherwise encountered and learn
from them as well as teach them and make an impact on them. It has
given me the confidence to actively contribute to making the world a
more accepting place by battling prejudice and discrimination with
compassion, support, and understanding. I want to set an example for
others, and hopefully, by modeling my behavior, I can inspire others to
speak out and take action in favor of LGBTQ people.