Posts Tagged: nepal

Asia / Wedding — No Comments
18
Aug 10

NEPAL’S FIRST INDIAN GAY WEDDING

India's gay prince on Oprah in 2007

India's gay prince on Oprah in 2007

Asif Khan, 30, a Muslim from Ahmedabad has held an unofficial wedding with longtime Hindu partner Sanjiv Sha, 42, a UK citizen of Indian origin (names changed). The couple was blessed by a Hindu priest at a ceremony arranged by Nepal’s pioneering Blue Diamond Society.

“I was worried for the safety of my partner and thought Nepal is a safe destination. We now look forward to a happy future,” said Sha, according to the Hindustan Times

In December 2007, Nepal’s Supreme Court granted equal status to sexual minorities, and the parliament is now finalising arrangements for same sex marriages.

Prince of Rajpipla, Manvendra Singh Gohil, who’s popular as India’s Gay Prince is also planning his wedding in Nepal.

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Asia — 1 Comment
30
May 10

GAY MARRIAGE IN ASIA

Nepal seems likely to introduce equality in 2010 and the King of Cambodia supports marriage equality - personally intervening to help partnered gays get Cambodian visas and even posting a handwritten note on his website to make his views clear point.

But who else is making a real push forward in Asia?

Sadly it is much easier to determine who is going nowhere. Hong Kong ruled out equality in 2006, for example. Chinese attitudes are changing, but very slowly, as this article shows.

It seems the only gay marriages in Asia for a while yet will be the sham heterosexual marriages of closeted gays and lesbians. I think there is great potential to achieve more. Continue reading →

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Asia / Marriage / Surprising Marriage Equality Supporters — No Comments
22
Apr 10

NEPAL SCALES NEW HEIGHTS

Painting the mountain pink

The home of Mount Everest, Nepal, is proof that change can happen quickly and where you least it expect it on the issue of marriage equality.

Like Albania, no-one would have predicted rapid advances in rights, certainly not imminent marriage equality or a global tourism campaign promoting Nepal as a destination for gay honeymooners.  Maybe that was because homosexuality was illegal until 2007.

But Nepal is killing two birds with one stone:  giving a social boost to a minority and an economic boost to all. It’s when you get a powerful alignment of interests like this that change can happen so quickly.

This will be the gayest thing to happen to Mount Everest since these newsreaders. Spread the word.

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