Kathmandu, April 11: President Ramchandra Paudel has inquired about the marital status of the couple who legally registered the first same-sex marriage in Nepal.
In a meeting with a delegation from the sexual and gender minorities recently at Sheetal Niwas, the official residence of the President, President Paudel asked Surendra Pandey, ‘How is life going?’.
Maya Gurung and Pandey recently registered the first same-sex marriage in Lamjung’s Dordi Rural Municipality, making Nepal the first country to legalise same-sex marriage in South Asia, and second in Asia behind Taiwan.
In response, Pandey thanked President Paudel, and said that he was happy to legally register the marriage after a long time. “We are happy,” said Pandey, “family life is going well.”
On the occasion, a delegation member Sunil Babu Pant, Asia’s first openly gay former parliamentarian of Nepal, and executive director of Mayako Pahichan Nepal, a non-profit organisation advocating for rights of sexual and gender minorities, informed President Paudel about the rights of the communities.
Pant highlighted the ongoing efforts to ensure the rights of sexual and gender minorities. Initiatives were being taken to integrate these communities into the mainstream of employment and economy through various promotion programmes, he said.
President Paudel emphasised the need to safeguard and strengthen democracy. “Democracy must be safeguarded, there is no alternative to democracy,” said President Paudel, “Only in democracy, the rights of all citizens will be protected.”
