Key Points

Gai Jatra, a centuries-old festival, is traditionally observed to honour those who have died in the previous year. People of all ages dress as cows or in eccentric costumes and parade through the streets.

In contrast, the pride parade held during this festival gives the LGBTQI+ community a platform to present themselves openly and be seen by society.

Excited and vibrant, hundreds of individuals from the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex (LGBTQI+) community participated in the colourful procession.

"This is a more than 550-year-old festival, especially designed to commemorate loved ones who passed away in the last year. Many LGBTIQ+ individuals who die are often not remembered by their families. So, as a broader gender and sexual minority family, we come together to honour them," said Sunil Babu Pant, former parliamentarian and prominent LGBTIQ+ rights activist, speaking to ANI.

"But this is not a sad moment. It is joyful, like a carnival. It's also a space to express our dissatisfaction with the government and policymakers," he added.

Nepal, nestled between India and China, is considered one of the most progressive countries in South Asia in terms of legal recognition of sexual minorities. The nation's 2015 Constitution includes provisions that safeguard the rights of LGBTQI+ individuals, and the 2021 census was the first to officially count those identifying outside the male/female binary. A total of 2,928 individuals identified themselves as "others" in terms of gender or sexual orientation.

Despite these progressive steps, the community continues to struggle for full implementation of their rights. While Nepal's Supreme Court has issued an interim order allowing the registration of same-sex marriages, the legal framework remains incomplete and inconsistent.

"Even though symbolically Nepal has started registering same-sex marriages due to a court's interim order, the law is still discriminatory," Pant explained. "Many policies still exclude LGBTIQ+ individuals. For instance, the Electoral Act, the Civil Servants Act, and even rape laws fail to recognise crimes against gay men or transgender individuals. We want to highlight this through our participation in this festival -- that the government still has a long way to go."

Organisers say the Gai Jatra pride parades serve not only to remember and honour LGBTIQ+ loved ones but also to occupy public space in a way that resonates with Nepali cultural traditions while amplifying calls for equal rights and full legal inclusion.

Despite promises to provide citizenship based on sexual orientation and gender identity, challenges persist in practice. The community continues to push for the legalisation of same-sex marriage, which they say would allow them to live with the same dignity and recognition afforded to heterosexual couples.

- ANI