KIRAN PANDAY
26 August was a red-letter day for Nepal's gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgendered (GLBT) community. Anil Mahaju, 32, (right) and Diya Mahaju, 21, both biological males, got married in the country's first public gay wedding. The marriage is not recognised legally.
The couple were dressed in traditional Hindu wedding clothes and though they didn't have a pundit to recite the vows, their methi friends (men who dress as women) sang celebratory songs. The couple exchanged rings and garlands, and kissed. The wedding was also attended by other friends, activists, and media.
Neither set of parents approve, but, Anil said, "We hope this will encourage others to come out of the closet and help change the way society perceives us." Anil is a photographer and field supervisor for the Blue Diamond Society that serves Nepal's GLBT community. Diya used to work for army intelligence.
Also in attendance was Comrade Prakash [name changed], a Maoist party cadre, who said, "There is not just day and night, but also dawn and dusk. Similarly, there aren't just heterosexual men and women."