Nepal marked a historic moment as a gay couple, Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey, became the first in the nation to officially receive same-sex marriage status. The Himalayan nation, standing among the pioneers in Asia, witnessed this milestone on Wednesday. Sunil Babu Pant, an openly gay former parliamentarian and prominent LGBTQ+ rights activist, celebrated the accomplishment, emphasizing the 23 years of struggle that led to this achievement.
The registration of the marriage took place at the Dorje village council office, located in the mountains west of the capital, Kathmandu, with Pant joining the couple for this momentous occasion. The journey to official recognition faced initial challenges as officials refused to register the marriage. Despite filing cases with the Kathmandu District Court and High Court, the couple and Pant encountered rejection. However, this changed after Nepal’s Supreme Court issued an interim order earlier this year, allowing the registration of same-sex marriages.
Sunil Babu Pant shared that the Home Ministry recently implemented changes in the process, enabling all local administration offices to register same-sex marriages. This unexpected positive development brought joy to the LGBTQ+ community. The couple, who had married six years ago in a Hindu tradition ceremony at a temple, lacked legal documentation of their union.
Nepal has undergone significant transformation since a pivotal court decision in 2007, urging the government to make pro-LGBTQ+ changes. Notably, individuals who do not identify strictly as male or female can now choose the “third gender” option on passports and other government documents. The constitution, adopted in 2015, explicitly prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation, solidifying Nepal’s commitment to LGBTQ+ rights.
