■ The happy couple: Anil Mahaju (left) and Diya Kashyap. Photo courtesy Blue Diamond Society

KATHMANDU, August 26, 2006  –  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.

“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.

■ Anil Mahaju  and Diya Kashyap hope that Nepal's new constitution will recognize their union. Photo courtesy Blue Diamond Society