Monday 28 August 2006

The Bold and the Beautiful

That's what the headline was in a 2/3rd page article in Saturday's Kathmandu Post about Nepal's first same-sex marriage, a glamorous affair on the rooftop of Blue Diamond Society's offices which Sheila and I attended. This weekend was also Teej, an important Hindu women's festival, so the metis (transexual or cross-dressing) members of BDS were dressed in traditional red saris.
No sign of Hallo or OK magazine but there were a few other journalists to cover this historic event in Nepal's gay rights movement. Perhaps the lobbying to legalise same-sex marriages in the new constitution is ambitious but the fact that even 2 years ago the police probably would have arrested everyone and the newspaper editors definitely would not have printed the articles shows that Blue Diamond's campaigning has been effective. There was also a TV crew there taking shots which went out that evening as part of a 30 min health awareness documentary about BDS. From my point of view it was good that it was on Nepal TV 2 which apparently no one watches because in a fairly pointless and toe-curling piece they had an interview with me saying in a dorky voice "My name is......., I am pleased to be here at the wedding of my friends". I didn't even think to say the first bit in Nepali.
Enough talk, here's some pictures.The happy couple (above)


Another happy couple plus friend

Cheers
Roshan
P.S. An interesting lesson in the different cultures - I said to my boss that it was a shame it was raining during the wedding and he said not at all, this would be considered auspicious for the marriage. Fairly reasonable in an agricultural economy where crops fail and livestock dies if there is no rain. For those of you in the UK not dependent on farming, hope you had a dry and enjoyable bank holiday weekend (particularly Richard, Sharon and James in the Isle of Wight and Guy, Dawn, Ross Alex and Poppy in Cornwall who get mentions as my only friends WHO EVER BOTHER TO WRITE and let me know they have read this blog!)

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