Jinudo Akash  has been staged  in national and international stage time and again and also earned high appreciation from the audiences. We invite you to participate in the presentation of  this drama on the special occasion. We hope your presence and feedback will be an encouragement for us to continue our works towards a more inclusive Nepali society, where there is no place for prejudice against our sexual and gender minorities, and where no one is left behind.

Drama: Jinudo Akash

Venue: Sarwanam Theater: Kalikasthan, Kathmandu

Date: 14-15 May 2018       Time: 5 P;M

16 May 2018       Time: 4 P:M

“Miss Pink “ is platform for Transgender woman to show their talent for creating awareness and sensitization in the society. 18 Transgender women are competing. We invite you to encourage our trans sister to boost their talent.

Miss Pink 2018

Venue: Rastriye Naach Ghar, Jamal, Kathmandu

Date: 17 May 2018         Time: 4  P:M Onward

United Nations officials and local dignitaries joined Nepal’s LGBTQ community in celebrating International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia by raising the rainbow banner for the first time in that nation’s history.

When it comes to the country’s lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transgender and queer/questioning population, Nepal is an outstanding global leader, supporting LGBTQ rights in its 2015 constitution, offering third gender ID cards and openly supporting Pride parades. 

Participants get ready for a Gay Pride rally in Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, Aug. 19, 2016. Hundreds of lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transvestites paraded through Nepal’s capital to demand that rights for sexual minorities be included in the country’s new constitution.

Wednesday’s ceremony at the U.N. House in Pulchowk, which is located in Patan (also known locally as Lalitpur), also featured a representative from Nepal’s Human Rights Commission and the president of the Blue Diamond Society, a local advocacy organization for LGBTQ rights.

‘If you have rights, you have responsibilities, and our responsibility today, and every day, is to educate those who don’t know,” said Mohna Ansari, a commissioner at the National Human Rights Commission. As Gay Star News reported, she urged people to “use their privilege for good — educate those who are ignorant and misinformed, and give proof to those who are prejudiced, that all people, regardless of religion, caste, gender or sexual orientation, once respected and valued, can and will accomplish their full potential,’ she said.

‘Today is about families and we are celebrating,’ Pinky Gurung of the Blue Diamond Society told the crowd.

The struggle of sexual and gender minorities first starts within us and our families. Because for many of us support from our family, in terms of emotional, economical and physical help, the life of us, sexual and gender minorities, is often hard and difficult.

There have been many instances where people from this community have even taken the extreme decision of committing suicide, due to the lack of education, health and employment opportunities. These are not just imaginary examples; this is our harsh reality.

We get motivated and feel confident to fight against social prejudice and exclusion only when our family helps us, supports us and accepts us.

We feel very lucky that experts, dignitaries and renowned people are here with us, people of diverse sexual orientation and gender identities, and I would like to thank you all for being with us and standing for equality.

We feel pride that with the support from you all Nepal is becoming one of the most LGBTIQ-friendly nations in this entire world. And I truly believe that Nepal would be an LBGTIQ paradise for everyone, soon.

“So what do you remember, Aaron?” is a question posed, 10 years after the incident, to one of the two murderers who beat Matthew Shephard to death in 1998 in a small town in the US.

The question is asked by a member of the theatre group that researched and documented the after-effects of that incident, which has become the iconic hate-crime against anyone different, particularly in terms of sexual orientation. The play in question is ‘The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later, An Epilogue’.

Two years ago, a Nepali production of the anti-homophobic, anti-hate play, ‘The Laramie Project’, was staged in Kathmandu. The intensity and stinging relevance of that production moved audiences here even though it was performed in English. The play is returning to Kathmandu this month as a sequel of sorts, based on the original follow-up production by Tectonic Theatre.

The original ‘Laramie Project’ presented interviews of family, friends, police officers and the murderers in order to learn more about the victim and the crime itself. The follow-up returns to some of the same people to ask them about changes in attitudes, policies and legislation. But more importantly, this particular One World Theatre production, jointly directed by Bruno Deceukelier and Rajkumar Pudasaini, incorporates LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer) stories from Nepal itself.

Presented in Nepali, these stories are based mainly on strong, personal narratives from LGBTIQ authors in ‘Pride Climbing Higher’, a writing project from Creative Nepal, in collaboration with Blue Diamond Society (BDS). The project provides an opportunity for audiences, students, journalists and policy makers to reflect and debate important social issues like HIV, LGBTIQ rights, anti-hate crime legislation, the role of media and how communities attempt to define themselves and rewrite their pasts.

The One World production of ‘The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later’ has a cast of 15 (pictured) composed of both professional actors – some of whom reprise their roles from the 2015 play – and members of the LGBTIQ community.

This non-for-profit piece of theatre, made in collaboration with Blue Diamond Society, is supported by Save the Children and UNAIDS Nepal. This particular production is dedicated to Martin Benitez Torres, one of the 49 victims of the 2016 shooting in a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida. It is also dedicated to the victims of ongoing gay persecution in Chechnya, crimes that highlight the work that remains to ensure the rights of the LGBTIQ community.

Nepal is leading the fight against intolerance in this region. It is therefore all the more important for us to become sensitised to issues that affect a significant proportion of people here and world-wide. As we enter a phase of intolerance unprecedented on a global scale, we must remember that “life is so precious,” as one of the Nepali characters in the production points out. And that we “gotta take responsibility for ourselves, what we think and what we say and what we do,” as the police officer who found Matthew in 1998 rages.

A segment of ‘Ten Years Later’ will be performed on Wednesday, 17 May, the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, as part of the Blue Diamond Society’s annual event to mark the day. The play itself will run 19-28 May at the Nepal Tourism Board.

Deceukelier’s words ring true: “What can I say but express the hope that ‘Laramie’ will touch you as it did me?”

Karno Dasgupta

The Laramie Project: Ten Years Later

One World Theatre

Nepal Tourism Board

Premier 19 May 5:30 PM

Till 28 May

Reservations: +977 9801192690

As well as being an important social outlet and celebration of sexuality, the event acted as an education opportunity for the LGBT community, which included talks and resources on sexual and mental health and safe sex practices. The event also featured local performers from the LGBT community and hoped to raise some awareness of the discrimination facing the LGBT community.

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As LGBT rights activists and allies around the world celebrated IDAHOT – the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia – Mitini Nepal, a lesbian rights organisation based in Kathmandu, set up a community kitchen to provide food for its members and others who are camping in an open plot of land near their office since the earthquakes that have hit Nepal over the last few weeks.

This is about showing solidarity over the fear that the multiple quakes and aftershocks have engendered, offering a basic meal once a day to ensure that people get some nourishment while they examine their options and organise their next steps. This recreates the services of social space and food that Mitini used to provide from their office, which is no longer a safe base from which to work as the surrounding buildings have been badly damaged. Today Mitini are buying tarps and bamboos and will set up the space, ready to start providing a simple meal of rice and dal and vegetables to those on site tomorrow morning. In addition, they will offer tea and biscuits in the evenings.

Announcement on June 6th:

Its been almost 20 days .And tomorrow we are going to close our Community Kitchen. Thank you make up 2 make up , peter, Shaun for your great support for our Community. We got lots of experience as well as we met our friends who are far from us and this Community Kitchen help us to gather those friends who are victimize by this earthquake. we are successfully do the work for our people with full of love and peace. Also we have organize the program for all the people of Lazimpat and others. In this program we entertain by showing our inner talent throughout this program we only want to refresh for the people who are scared with earthquake and also we aware about earthquake and give some information about LGBT Community. We got lots of achievement from these 20 days. We saw positive changes, their support, their thinking and many more. This program is the bridge for our society to change their negative thoughts for LGBT Community.

During the community kitchen, the team also organised social and informative events.

In Nepal, actions around the IDAHOT 2014 over various days. Highlights included a press conference announcing the IDAHOT 2014 programme ahead, a rainbow flag-raising and speeches at the British High Commission, and a gala event – all in Kathmandu. The gala event featured dance and music performances, by participants from 5 regions of Nepal, as well as “Catwalk To Freedom” (an activism/theatre piece, focused on Third Gender oppression and liberation). A film screening, speeches, theatre, a legal consultation, and other events were organised throughout the week.

The series of events was also marked by high-level participation, as several dignitaries including representatives from National Human Rights Commission, the Norwegian Embassy, UNAIDS, and Pinky Gurung, BDS’s current President wished courage to all LGBTI communities and expressed their solidarity for IDAHOT.

Significantly, a letter was also sent by the Gay and Lesbian Sexual Minority Network of Nepal, to the Prime Minister of Nepal requesting official recognition of May 17.

Local organisers shared the following report with us, which is now reproduced here in full:

We are so happy and excited to share you the IDAHOT Nepal National Report.

LGBTI people, alongside allies and friends, in Nepal marked/celebrated IDAHOT this year in an extended and elaborated three days of events nationwide.

On the 15th of May Blue Diamond Society organized a “meet the press” event, inviting media representatives at the Reporters Club in Kathmandu for an interaction program with activists. The program very interesting, various LGBTI representatives spoke of LGBTI rights, the need for LGBTI representatives to be included in the Constituent Assembly (CA), and reiterated long-held demands that Nepal’s new constitution ensures human rights for LGBTI people. Activists also asked government to allocate budget to LGBTI community support projects, and ensure equal access to education and equal opportunities for employment.

Press conference announcing IDAHOT 2014 events in Nepal. Courtesy of Blue Diamond Society

At least 7 national TV channels broadcasted the events and various radio and print media covered the news of that meet the press event – the kick-off for the broader IDAHOT events around the country.

On the morning of May 16th, the British High Commission in Kathmandu invited LGBTI representatives from various organizations, raised a rainbow flag on the premises, and DCM Guy Harrison spoke about British government’s commitment to support LGBTI rights. Former CA member and founder of BDS Sunil Babu Pant spoke highlighting the importance of IDAHOT, and thanked British government for their support while asking them to do more to protect LGBTI rights in Nepal.

British High Commission in Kathmandu flying the flag on IDAHOT 2014. Courtesy of Blue Diamond Society

Later in the afternoon, Blue Diamond Society organized a gala event at the National Theater in the center if Kathmandu, inviting various families, communities, media, other civil society groups.

Gala event for IDAHOT 2014 in Nepal. Source: Courtesy of Blue Diamond Society

The event featured cultural dances, usually traditionally performed by metis/third genders (male born TGs),  and the “Catwalk To Freedom” — a ramp show featuring various third gender models, with unique educational structure and concept: First, TG models cat-walked onto the ramp, one by one, as if they were caged, chained, masked, hands and legs tied, hand cuffed, mouth taped symbolically show they were denied mobility and expression, and forced to remain in the closet while facing a lot of violence. One by one, while walking in the ramp, the models broke themselves from the cage, tearing off the chains, pulling the tape off their mouths, breaking of the hand cuffs, etc., and trying to encourage others too.

“Catwalk for Freedom” in Kathmandu, Nepal. IDAHOT 2014. Courtesy of Blue Diamond Society.

“Be Change”, documentary related to Lesbian love, was also screened. Nilu Doma, documentary maker, shared her experience regarding “ Be Change” and importance of love regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

LGBTI groups from all 5 development regions of Nepal brought their ethnic dance performances. A musical performances showing very vivid experience of LGBTI facing stigma and discrimination, audience were touched by the performances.

Then a play was staged by Silpi Theater Troupe, portraying how in-laws to-be refuse to marry a girl because they discovered her brother was third gender, then the third gender was excluded from her home by her parents, end up leaving the village. She (the third gender) faced discrimination while traveling by bus to Kathmandu, could not find room to rent, could not find job, ended up working in dance bar with low pay and abusive owner, and joined a college only face bullying from classmates – a fairly typical story of a TG facing discrimination and exclusion in day to day life in Nepal. As Nepal has progressed some legal rights and community empowerment, the TG character was able to find peers and organizations to support her. She is empowered and not just settled in harsh city like Kathmandu but also become compassionate to help others in need. Overall it was a powerful performance with positive messages about support and inclusion and hope for the future.

Sunil Babu Pant gave a inspirational and encouraging speech, asking every one to remain united and work hard. He talked about the unfair comparison many may do out of ignorance between the two completely different kinds of success: one can be easily successful to destroy something in a short time without skills, qualification and hard work, but to be successful to create something beneficial to mankind and build a movement and sustain is very different and need a lot of hands, minds and hearts to work together. Pant also invited a mother, Saru Bisht, to the stage, honored her for her support and fight against all odds to give her two third gender children the citizenship ID cards according to their gender identity and asked all parents to see her as a role model.

Several dignitaries including representatives from National Human Rights Commission, the Norwegian Embassy, UNAIDS, and Pinky Gurung, BDS’s current President wished courage to all LGBTI communities and expressed their solidarity for IDAHOT.

On day 3, BDS held an informal Interaction program among LGBTI members — many new members joined the events, shared their experiences and stories of coming out as well as the ugly, the bad, the OK, the good, and the extra-ordinarily happy  experience of living as an LGBTI person in contemporary Nepali society, followed by food and a dance party.

In 23rd and 24th May, BDS coordinated a consultation with 50+ supreme court lawyers on “the 2007 Supreme Court decision in Pant v. Nepal, the new Constitution, the proposed draft civil and criminal code (the proposed civil and criminal coed is dangerously regressive and needs urgent intervention), LGBTI communities needs with regards to legal counselling/litigation and Nepal Bar Association’s role to safeguard LGBTI rights and legal support to LGBTI people.

Civil code consultation for IDAHOT 2014, Nepal. Courtesy of Blue Diamond Society

After the consultation Nepal Bar association expressed their commitment to support LGBTI cause and offered free legal services to Blue Diamond Society and LGBTI members anywhere in Nepal. They also expressed their concern over the proposed draft civil and criminal code which are unbelievably regressive and suggesting to criminalize sexual identities and behaviors which would render LGBTI people criminals — the NBA said this was “unacceptable”.

Letter to the Government of Nepal, requesting official recognition of May 17

Government of Nepal,
Prime Minister as well as
Minister of Social Welfare council
Mr.Sushil Koirala,

Sub:Requesting to proclaim IDAHOBT Day as a public holiday

Dear Prime Minister,
As Nepal’s interim constitution 2063, in the Section 3 there is fundamental rights of the citizens and in the Section 4 there is responsibility of the state as well as management of the principles of polity.As we, the sexual and gender minorities are also citizens of this country, we have rights to utilize and claim all fundamental as well as human rights. However,we,the sexual and gender minorities, have been suffering from various kinds of discrimination in our home, society, neighbors and even from government itself. To eradicate all types of these discrimination, globally the international organizations and associations like International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) and International Lesbian and Gay Association(ILGA) are standing together and making their local level NGOs and INGOs active to overcome all sorts of discrimination and violence against sexual minority communities and empower them with all human rights and their security.With regards to it,an international committee IDAHO,formed and this committee has been observing International Day Against Homophobia to mark the discrimination and violence against homosexuals, bisexual, transsexual on 17th May every year. Tally this day with our Nepali Bikram Sambat era, we would like to request to you to declare this day public holiday in Nepal too. So that we can make people aware of LGBTTI community and change their opinions about them through this day. We are presenting this letter to you including some problems and issues of this community.

Dear Prime minister, only a few member of our sexual and gender minorities whom can be counted on our finger tips have received citizenship cards in the name of ‘Thirdsex’ or ‘Othersex’ which were issued by Government of Nepal on saying to do so by some non-government organization. However, member of our community are not satisfied with it. They take it as the government itself is discriminating on them by using such offensive words like ‘thirdsex’ ‘thirdgender’ ‘othersex’. Similarly, these are some NGOs in the country which propose a lot of tempting activities in the name of doing welfare of this community just to attract the foreign donor agents. Embezzle the amount that they received as foreign aids, they do nothing towards the welfare of this community. Thus, few people are turning affluent overnight. So the government of Nepal should pay attention and case towards the activities of NGOs and take legal actions against those found guilty. Have a detailed study about this community before issuing citizenship cards to its members because we are neither any thirdgender nor any third-nature dramatical persons, we are naturally normal persons.

We would also like to put forward some of our demands, they are as follows:-
1. Identity cards should be issued based on sex-orientation of an individual.
2. Legalize the Same-Sex marriage.
3. Mention sexual minorities in the new building up constitution.
4. The final verdict of the Supreme Court made in the year 2064(B.S) should be made to follow strictly.
5. Proclaim IDAHOBT Day as a public holiday.

For your information, we would like to tell you something about the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and transphobia(IDAHOBT). This day aims to co-ordinate international events that raise awareness of LGBTTI rights work worldwide. The date of May 17 was chose to commemorate the decision to remove homosexuality from the international classification of diseases of The World Health Organization (WHO) in 1990.
Requesting you to grant the 17th May as Public Holiday in Nepal. We have prepared this letter representing more then 3 lakh Nepalese sexual minorities. At last, hearing our demands and putting them into practice, give justice to all victimized Nepalese sexual and gender minorities.
Thank you.
Yours,
Binod Lama
Chairperson
Gay and Lesbian Sexual Minority Network Nepal

Photo: 4th International GAIJATRA Pride FESTIVAL 2013. Source Blue Diamond Society

Various activities are planned, including a photo exhibition, talk program, press conference, media programs, a play around sexual and gender minority people’s lives at the National Theater, a dance competition, etc.

Nepalese LGBTQI activists organised a dance programme at Rastriya Nachghar, Kathmandu, to showcase their talent and to join the global movement around IDAHOT 2013.

‘A Nepalese transgendered performer puts on make up backstage for an event on the International Day Against Homophobia and Trans-phobia in Kathmandu. Nepal, home to Asia’s leading gay and transgender rights movement, legally recognizes a third gender category on documents for transgender people.’ (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images). Source.

The Nepalese Blue Diamond Society LGBT organization also held the following events to celebrate May 17th:

1) Play Competition on the theme of IDAHO and/or LGBTI facing discrimination among the college students,
2) Dance competition among Third genders of Nepal,
3) Speech competition on the theme of IDAHO,
4) Journalists are honored who have supported LGBTI community in the past.

‘We celebrated the day with the aim to coordinate international events that raise awareness of homosexuality and transgender rights violations and stimulate interest in rights advocacy’, Manisha Dhakal, deputy director of the Society, said.

In the flag-hosting ceremony organized at the British Embassy, Dhakal highlighted that many members of the gay community are facing problems because of the way society looks upon homosexuality.

More photos from May 17 in Nepal: