Making history, Nepal officially records
its inaugural same-sex marriage five months after it was legalized by the
Supreme Court.
Trans-woman Maya Gurung (35) and gay man
Surendra Pandey (27) legally married at Dordi Rural Municipality in the Lamjung
district of Western Nepal, as confirmed by Blue Diamond Society president Sanjib
Gurung (Pinky).
Blue Diamond is an organization
dedicated to the rights and well-being of sexual minorities in Nepal.
This makes Nepal, the first in South
Asia to formally recognize and register a same-gender marriage following the
Supreme Court’s decision.
In 2007, Nepal’s Supreme Court had
already granted permission for same-gender marriage, a stance further
reinforced by the 2015 Constitution, explicitly prohibiting discrimination
based on sexual orientation.
However, on June 27, 2023, the Supreme
Court issued an interim order, prompted by a writ petition led by individuals,
including Gurung, to officially legalize same-sex marriage in Nepal.
Despite this groundbreaking decision,
the Kathmandu District Court rejected the move four months ago, citing the
absence of requisite legal frameworks.
Surendra Pandey and Maya’s marriage
application was rejected at that time.
“It’s a great pleasure to learn about
this, it is a great achievement for us, the third gender community of Nepal,” said
Pinky.
“This is the first case not only in
Nepal but also in the whole of South Asia, and we welcome the decision.”
Surendra, hailing from Nawalparasi
district, and Maya, originally from Lamjung district, entered into a
traditional marriage with the consent of their families. They have been cohabiting
as a married couple for the past six years.
Now their marriage has been temporarily
registered and after the formulation of necessary laws, it will get permanent
recognition automatically.
After the marriage ceremony, Maya said, “We
both, Surendra and I are here at Dordi in Lamjung to celebrate the occasion
together. Aama Samuha or the local Mother’s Group is also joining together with
us. We felt greatly honoured by the decision to register our marriage.”
PTI/ Pic by AP
