Nepal commemorates its first same-sex union

Lamjung saw the first-ever same-sex marriage in the nation on Wednesday, which was a historic occasion and a big step in the direction of tolerance. The marriage between 27-year-old Surendra Pandey from Kawasoti Municipality-8 in Nawalparasi East and 37-year-old Ram Bahadur Gurung, who goes as Maya, from Dordi Rural Municipality-2 in Lamjung, was formally documented at the rural municipality’s ward 2 office.

It’s interesting to note that five years after their first temple ceremony, Surendra and Maya officially wed. They met in a neighborhood café in Kawasoti nine years ago, and that’s where their adventure started. Maya narrated their love tale, saying, “We met at a restaurant and hit it off right away. We moved in together after a few weeks of courtship.” But social and family approval was hard to come by, so the couple moved to Kathmandu. Even though they were married in a temple five years ago, until recently, they were unable to get legal recognition.

The pivotal moment occurred on June 27, when the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision directing the government to formally register marriages between same-sex and non-heterosexual couples. This historic ruling not only confirmed Surendra and Maya’s dedication, but it also made Nepal the second Asian country—after Taiwan in 2019—to acknowledge and approve same-sex unions.

When the Supreme Court issued a decision in 2015 to repeal laws that discriminated against sexual and gender minorities, the wheels of change began to turn. This included a request that legislation endorsing and promoting same-sex unions be drafted after careful investigation.

In December of last year, the court demonstrated even more of its dedication to diversity when it ordered the government to provide a non-tourist visa to German national Tobias Volz, who is married to Nepali citizen Adheep Pokharel, in spite of the administration’s initial resistance. The legal environment changed further when Volz was granted a non-tourist visa by the government per a court order.

In a comparable case from 2017, a lesbian pair made up of US national Leslie Luin Melnik and Nepali citizen Suman Panta contested the government’s decision to deny the American partner a non-tourist visa.

Nepal’s progress toward equal rights and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community is indicative of a wider worldwide trend, as changes in the law and society create a more accepting environment for people of all sexual orientations.