News Alert: Nepal Elects Gay Leader

Despite my journalism friend saying this is cliché, I’m going to go ahead and quote Obama (does this make it obvious who I support?):

"I have always said that I don’t think that the LGBT community should take its cues from me or some political leader in terms of what they think is right for them. Real change comes from the bottom up, not the top down.”

Today we found out that Sunil Pant, founder of the Blue Diamond Society (BDS), has won a seat in the Nepali Parliament. He ran with a small fringe party, the Communist Party of Nepal-United (CPN-U) and has given life to Obama’s quote. Ok yes, the Nepali LGBT community may be taking “cues from …a political leader,” (Pant) but in this case, the leader clearly represents them and takes his cues from the LGBT community as well. Sunil started out as an ordinary citizen, founded BDS, used BDS to win legal battles for the LGBT community, and now has gone on to be the first openly gay politician in Nepal. Now other countries *cough* USA *cough* just need to follow Nepal’s lead in community activism.

Nepal has proven to be on the forefront of gay rights out of all the South Asian nations (I promise I won't make another open bosom/nipple/nepal joke) – in 2007, the Supreme Court issued orders to the government to treat people of the LGBTI community with the same rights accorded to heteros. Perhaps the overturning of a centuries old monarchy has something to do with this?

Official Nepali elections took place on April 10, but the process includes a secondary election that awards seats based on proportional representation. That combined with the fact that most constituencies did not use electronic polling, extended the process and tallying of results. Initial reports for the LGBT politicians looked grim, as it appeared that the Maoist party won most of the seats and the CPN-U gained none. The secondary process, however, awarded the CPN-U five seats in the Parliament, one of which they awarded to Pant. CPN-U has proven to be the go-to party for the LGBT community, since it included 12 sexual minorities running under its banner.

Pant has been a highly visible community activist - BDS is the only LGBT human rights group in Nepal. His victory has won accolades worldwide; Ashok Kavi of UNAID New Delhi says to Pant, “You've made our day and now will become the flag bearer of the LGBT communities in the Nepalese Parliament.”

More news on the elections: Thaindian News

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For Queer Dummies: Nepal Elections Cheat Sheet

May 28, 2008

• 575 members sworn in to Nepal's Constituent Assembly
• 26 seats are still open; these are to be filled by members elected by the Cabinet.
• The assembly officiated the end of 340 years of religious monarchy in Nepal
• Responsible for overseeing the transition from an absolute monarchy to a federal republic and creating a new constitution for Nepal.
• The three major parties within the assembly: Maoists, Nepal Congress, and the CPN(UML).

How is this queer?

• 191 members (33%) out of the 575 are women, a record high in any Nepali political institution
• 35 year old Sunil Pant, founder of the Blue Diamond Society, becomes the first openly gay politician to serve in the Nepali parliament.
• Pant's party, CPN-U, split from the third largest party in the assembly, the CPN(UML). Perhaps CPN-U picked up it's pro-LGBT tendencies from it's mother party?
• With 26 seats still open, there's room for more women and more people who identify as LGBT. We'll keep our fingers crossed.

Is this significant political transition the perfect time to adapt Nepali society into a more homo-friendly one?

• We certainly hope so.

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One of our first posts at queeristan was about the nascent LGBT movement in Nepal (please ignore the unfortunate wording choice...we were young and facetious then): Nipple Nepal, Land of High Peaks, Opens Bosom for LGBTs. The recent political upheaval in Nepal, which replaced the aboslute monarchy with a secular republic, provided an opportunity for the Nepali LGBT movement to take root. In a newly-minted democracy, the spirit of change pervades the political atmosphere.

Nepal is back in the Western media's radar, this time for their, may I say so myself, pragmatic approach to tourism. They want to become the go-to tourist destination for gay couples, keenly aware of limited rights for LGBTs in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh. Looking to diversify their tourism portfolio, Nepal is targeting gay couples, hoping that wealthier tourists will add more cash to the economy by participating in higher-cost activites such as staying in five-star hotels. Currently, the tourism industry is dominated by the typical backpacker living on a shoestring budget. These efforts are headed by none other than Sunil Pant.

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Believe it or not, the Fab Five has grown to become the Tantalizing TWELVE! Now in the running for Nepal's historic elections are ten gay men, a lesbian, and a hijra who is known as Gudiya, or "the Dancing Doll." Because of Nepal's conservative past, it will definitely be an uphill battle for these brave candidates. Regardless of whether they win or lose, Sunil Babu Pant (pictured above), remains optimistic about the future of LGBT rights in Nepal. “For the first time in Nepal’s history, two of the most powerful parties have promised to address gay issues in their election manifestos,” says Pant. “That’s a beginning.”

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This is the proving to be the year of the queer for Nepalis! In Nepal’s first national vote since 1999, Not one, but FIVE openly gay men are in the running for public election on April 10. Although homosexuality was illegal less than 3 months ago, founder of the Blue Diamond Society, Sunil Babu Pant, says that the conservative taboos are quickly being broken down and that he believes he has a good chance to win. We are rooting for you guys!

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