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Pink Everest: Nepal appeals for gay tourists |
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 KATMANDU, Nepal - Nepal wants to paint Mount Everest pink.
It wants gay honeymooners trekking through the Himalayas.
It wants to host the world's highest same-sex wedding at Everest base camp.
But mainly, the conservative Hindu nation wants a chunk of the multibillion dollar gay tourist market to help pull it out of poverty.
That quest - brushing aside historical biases in pursuit of economic opportunity - is symbolic of one of the gay rights movement's most stunning successes.
Just five years ago, police were beating gays and transsexuals in the streets.
Now, the issue of gay rights is almost passe here.
Nepal has an openly gay parliamentarian, it is issuing "third gender" identity cards and it appears set to enshrine gay rights - and possibly even same-sex marriage - in a new constitution.
"(It) is not an issue anymore, for anybody," said Vishnu Adhikari, a 21-year-old lesbian. "Society has basically accepted us."
That acceptance has become a major marketing opportunity for a country cursed by desperate poverty, but blessed with majestic beauty.
Tourism is one of the main drivers of Nepal's economy, worth about $350 million last year, and government officials are determined to double tourism to 1 million visitors next year.
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A ground breaking documentary that tells rarely told stories. |
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 Kathmandu- On behalf of the blue Diamond Society I am very happy and extremely proud to announce the release of a documentary film sponsored by one of our most ground breaking projects, "Beauty and Brains in Action" that tackles Stigma and Discrimination".
When the World Bank called for unique projects to tackle stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and vulnerable populations like Transgender, Men who have sex with men (MSM), intravenous drug users (IDUs), sex workers, people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). A thought struck me, "Why not use the beauty and brains of Nepalese third genders (transgenders) to tackle stigma and discrimination?" Working for more than ten (10) year on HIV and Human rights I have realized that the traditional way of delivering messages have become solemn, sad and not appealing to vulnerable populations especially to youth. The HIV prevention massages have been emphasized fear and the threat of disease.
The younger generation is looking for something appealing like beauty, music, fashion, talent, courage, honesty, dignity, responsibility, space, boldness, creativity, art, fun and intelligence. So the concept of mobilizing beautiful and talented third genders was something unique that, through this project, would get a forum to present
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Nepal: one nation, a hundred languages, three genders |
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 A story about the struggle and hardship faced by an individual in quest for an identity
Could you ever imagine being a prisoner of your own body and mind? What would you do, if at birth, you were assigned a body that didn't match with your true gender? What would you do to come to terms with it? And, how would you deal with all these issues while society unjustly punished you for it?
Such was the dilemma of Sandhya Tamang. On the surface, she is a perfectly normal, happy 21 year-old girl, however, it hasn't always been this way.
Born in Hetauda, Makawampur, as a boy, Sandhya spent the best part of her childhood in her village as an unhappy, repressed and lonely child, trapped in a body that didn't match her gender.
By her mid-teens, such was her discontent, that she took the decision to leave behind the school bullying she had been enduring for years, family unacceptance and the deep-rooted social stigmas embedded in Nepalese rural society, and left for Kathmandu, and she's never looked back.
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Marriage Definition by Supreme Court of Nepal |
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 The definition of 'marriage' narrated by the Supreme Court of Nepal in connection to issuing an interim order on the writ petition regarding Single Women (widow) Marriage case filed by Lili Thapa, including vs. Government of Nepal on 2066/10/05BS (18/01/2010AD) that "Marriage is an act of creating a legal union of a social, emotional and legal nature between two grown adults, man and women, who have attained the age of 20, except homosexuals" has drawn the attention of sexual and gender minorities of Nepal.
The order is contrary to the Court's directive order made previously by itself on 2064/09/06BS (21/12/2007AD) in the case of Sunil Babu Pant vs. Government of Nepal having Writ No. 917 of the year 2064 BS (2007 AD) which paves the way to allow same sex marriage in Nepal. On the basis of the directive order, Nepal government has formed a committee to study the issue of homosexual and third gender marriage in Nepal. Since the interim order issued on the writ petition of single women marriage case might cause undue influence resulting negative impact on the undergoing study of Same Sex Marriage Committee, an application was submitted by Sunil Babu Pant, the Hon'ble Constituent Assembly Member and Executive Director of Blue Diamond Society (BDS) to correct the error of the interim order. On the application demand submitted thereby for correction of such order, the Supreme Court has made a reorder on 2066/10/14BS (27/01/2010AD) clarifying that the words "Except Homosexual" are deemed irrelevant and omitted from the interim order and the 'marriage' interpreted in the case of writ petition filed by Lili Thapa on behalf of MANAB ADHIKARKA LAGI AKAL MAHILA SAMAJ (an organization working for single women (widow) refers to the Widow Marriage but not to the Same Sex Marriage. So, this amendment made on the interim order of the single women' marriage case has accepted the provision of homosexual/third gender marriage and we, through this press release, would like to welcome the reorder made in the respectable Supreme Court of Nepal.
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South Asian Community Centre for sexual minorities |
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 Nepal has been ahead of other South Asian countries to ensure the legal rights of sexual minorities. Now, members of the community have decided to establish a South Asian Community Centre, said to be the first of its kind in the region, in the Capital with an aim to empower and foster a sense of unity among sexual minorities.
According to Sunil Babu Pant, the first Constituent Assembly member from the community and the president of Blue Diamond Society--an organisation that works towards sexual minority rights, the centre will play a pivotal role in imparting various trainings for Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals and Transsexuals (LGBTs) so as to make them self-dependent.
Despite legal rights, LGBTs in Nepal still are not socially accepted. Most are still unemployed, and some have difficulties enrolling at schools or colleges due to their sexual orientation.
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South Asia 
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