• Source:PTI

Same-Sex Marriage: Five months after the Supreme Court legalised it, Nepal became the first nation in South Asia to formally register the first same-sex marriage case on Wednesday. The 35-year-old trans-woman Maya Gurung and 27-year-old Surendra Pandey, a gay, got legally married and their marriage was registered at Dordi Rural Municipality of Lamjung district in Western Nepal, according to Sanjib Gurung (Pinky), president of Blue Diamond Society, an organization working for the rights and welfare of the sexual minorities in Nepal.

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In 2007, the Supreme Court of Nepal approved same-sex marriage. In fact, the Constitution of Nepal, adopted in 2015, explicitly states that there can be no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

In response to a writ suit submitted by several parties, including Gurung, the Supreme Court of Nepal issued an interim decision on June 27, 2023, legalising same-sex marriage. But despite the historic order to temporarily register same-sex marriage, Kathmandu District Court four months ago rejected the move citing a lack of necessary laws. At that time, Surendra Pandey and Maya's marriage application was turned down.

"It's a great pleasure to learn about this, it is a great achievement for us, the third gender community of Nepal," Pinky told PTI. "This is the first case not only in Nepal but also in the whole of South Asia, and we welcome the decision," she added.

Surendra, a native of Nawalparasi district, and Maya, a resident of Lamjung district, were married in a customary way and have been living together as husband and wife for the past six years with the blessing of their families.

"There are many third-gender couples living without their identities and rights and this is going to help them a lot," Pinky said, adding that the door has now opened for other people of this community to get their marriage legalised.

(With Inputs From Agency)


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