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Gay
Nuptials in Nepal Stuns the Media
26 August 2006- Kathmandu– In a colourful
ceremony, two gay were married today, watched by the media, community
activists and a few family members.
It was the first public “same-sex marriage” in Nepal and
challenges the culture, tradition, family values and constitution of the
country.
Cheerful and courageous Diya Kashyap (21) and Anil Mahaju
(31) hope Nepalese society will accept their relationship and love – and
the country’s new constitution will recognize their union.
“There is not only day and night, there us morning and
evenings as well,” said Swanam, a Communist Party spokesperson in Nepal
who was one of the guests.
“Similarly there are not just heterosexual men and women,
there are transgender, homosexual and many more which society at large
has yet to accept.”
With the Nepali popular music, beautiful metis
(effeminate cross-dressing males), young gay men, cheerful women and
children, Diya as a bride and Anil as a groom exchanged rings, were
garlanded to each other and kissed in front of a curious – and stunned –
media.
Metis, in “sweet voice” sang happy wedding songs,
blessing the new couple for their ever lasting love.
Cheerful and courageous, Diya and Anil now hope that
society will accept their relationship and love – and the new
constitution will recognize their union. “We love each other. That is
why we are getting married,” Diya told Nepalnews.
Dressed in a red sari and a glittering see-through
veil, the shy bride looked just like any other Nepali bride.
“This is the first ever public wedding between two males
but this is not the last,” said Sunil Pant of the Blue Diamond Society,
Nepal’s only LGBT organisation.
“It’s an historic occasion that will hopefully not just
inspire other individuals with similar love and commitment to come
forward and live their lives according to their will, but will also
generate a great deal of dialogue amongst this conservative society on
wedding, social norms, values and politics of gender and oppression of
masculinity in Nepalese society.”
The music and party is expected to continue well into the
night.
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