Nepal Gay Rights

In what will no doubt be hailed as a historic decision, Nepal has become the third Asian country to grant separate recognition to its community of sex...

Standing in the courtyard at RR Campus in Kathmandu, Roshan Mahato looks relaxed and proud. This, just seven years ago, was the spot where he was teased and harassed so badly by his peers that he transferred to another college. Today he is the president of Nepal's LGBTI Student Forum.

Since the 2007 decision in Pant v. Nepal, only two citizens, through relentless personal advocacy, have successfully received documents that reflect their true gender identity. Several international law arguments can support Nepali activists in their fight for legal recognition.

There is not one single gay bar in Nepal. Yet this small country, which ranks near the bottom of the Human Development Index, emerges as a world leader in progressive laws supporting LGBT individuals. The man behind all of this is Sunil Pant.

Nepal has launched an LGBTI sporting event that will further help in mainstreaming the LGBTI community in the country. The sporting event, referred to as Nepal's "gay Olympics," will feature volleyball, football, long jump, and martial arts, among others.

Itching for adventure, Lisa and Jenni decided to drop their lives in the Bay Area and spend a year traveling the world. Their mission, simply put, was to meet the world's "Supergays" wherever they went.

While attending a ceremony in New York, Sunil Pant visited the New York City Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Inspired by his visit, Pant envisioned a similar space in Nepal.

By Jason Overdorf / KATHMANDU KATHMANDU, Nepal -- In the quiet courtyard of Dechenling Garden, a Bhutanese restaurant on the fringes of the ...