Hindu and Muslim Gay Couple from UK and India get married

[JI7]

interesting, it looks like nations that support gay rights will benefit economically. i know that isn't the reason to support civil rights, but it is nice to see places that are usually poor benefit from doing the right thing. especially nice for people from poorer nations that can't so easily go to the wealthier places like in europe where there might be more support for gay rights have some place they can go.


<They met in Mumbai, fell in love and sought to marry. However, there were several obstacles in the way. The 42-year-old, a social worker of Indian origin from the UK, and his 30-year-old love, a sales executive from Ahmedabad, belong to different religions. One is a Hindu and the other a Muslim. Also, both are men.

Fearing an outcry in conservative Gujarat, they packed their bags and drove from Surat to Kathmandu last week. On Tuesday, the couple will wed in a Hindu temple in Kathmandu under the aegis of Blue Diamond Society (BDS), Nepal’s first gay rights organisation that campaigned successfully for same-sex marriages and has now won fame for the former Himalayan kingdom as a haven for same-sex lovers.

As Khan is planning to join his partner in the UK, Pant advised them to consult the British Embassy in Kathmandu. The embassy, though sympathetic, however pointed out that they could have helped had Khan been a Nepali instead of Indian. Accordingly, they asked the pair to get a certificate from BDS and seek the help of the British Embassy in New Delhi.

Pant, who has begun a weekly television show, is upbeat. “We have two more weddings scheduled in 2011, celebrated as tourism year in Nepal,” he says. “An American lesbian couple and a Filipino-Arab couple have already confirmed.” From the $200 charged by BDS to issue the wedding certificates, Pant hopes to generate funds for training sexual minorities in Nepal. BDS, in collaboration with several western donors, provides beauticians’ and tailoring training to gays. Pant and BDS have also offered to host a spectacular wedding in Nepal for Manvendra Singh Gohil, the only openly gay scion of an erstwhile royal family in Rajpipla in Gujarat.>

Read more: Gay couple from India, UK tie knot in Nepal - South Asia - World - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/world/south-asia/Gay-couple-from-India-UK-tie-knot-in-Nepal/articleshow/6325515.cms#ixzz0wwAh0yoT

[joeybee12]

1. KNR!