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Key Points
- The Nepali queer community is gearing up for its debut float in Mardi Gras 2024.
- Members say they hope the community back home will receive the respect it deserves.
- Float members say LGBTIQ+ education is needed in schools in Nepal.
She said the end of 2023 marked a significant turning point for her as she started openly expressing her identity in front of her family.
Pem Tamang, 26, says she experienced true freedom only after coming to Australia. Source: SBS / Sunita Pokharel
Now proudly identifying as a transgender woman, she said she had previously felt compelled to remain the only son in the family.
Abhishek Baniya will also be displaying his gender identity in the parade, something which he said he could never do back home.
Abhishek Baniya says he hope to see a change in attitude towards the LGBTIQ+ community in Nepal. Source: SBS / Sunita Pokharel
But for him, introducing his parents to same-sex relationships demanded a creative approach.
Mahato, who identifies as pansexual, said, “If the world is a safe space, nobody needs to come out. (Just) As no straight people come out as straight why do queer people need to come out as queer?”
Carrying Nepal’s pride in the parade
Now, with nearly 30 members under the Nepali Queer Community Sydney banner, they are fully prepared for the day with props and designer clothes.
Nepali Queer Community Sydney members are gearing up for their Mardi Gras float showcasing their homeland. Source: Supplied / Nepali Queer Community Sydney
Clad in Nepali cultural attire, the group will march in the parade showcasing iconic symbols on their shoulders.
“I have been in parades in Nepal as well and people were staring. I would like to see that change, where people will be like wow this is amazing, and I am here rooting for you,” Payal said.
From left to right: Payal, Pem, and Abhishek prepare for the Mardi Gras Parade. Source: SBS / Sunita Pokharel
Baniya said he wanted to see a change in attitude towards the LGBTIQ+ community back home.
“If life (gives me) the chance, I would like to see myself walking in the parade back in Nepal, and hopefully, I will see people around cheering for me and the community. Your respect and help are important. So please, show respect to whoever is walking in the parade,” he said.
Are official changes translating into attitudes?
“It is not your responsibility to explain who you are, please don’t take that pressure, and don’t put pressure on other people as well,” they said.
Payal asserts that acquiring knowledge about the LGBTIQ+ community would lead to increased respect and understanding. Source: SBS / Sunita Pokharel
Inclusiveness
“I didn’t have to tell anybody to use they/them pronoun to address me because in most conversations I find the Nepali language gender-neutral,” they said.
While that milestone was the result of almost two decades of legal battles and advocacy, some community members say a lot still needs to be done to achieve equality in Nepal.
Without law, how did same-sex marriage become possible?
On 29 November 2023, Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey became the first same-sex couple in Nepal to have their marriage officially registered, five months after the Supreme Court issued an interim order to register same-sex marriage and keep a temporary record.
“This (marriage) sends a message that love prevails in Nepal and it’s a love revolution,” he said.
Sunil Babu Pant (centre) with first legally registered rainbow couple, Surendra Pandey (L) and Maya Gurung (R). Credit: From Sunil Babu Pant’s Facebook/Aman Shrestha
According to Pant, once the law is passed, there might be some changes in the terminology and details used in marriage certificate, which now only refer to husband and wife.
Extending his best wishes to the Nepali group’s participation in Mardi Gras, Pant acknowledged that changes for the LGBTIQ+ community were a work in progress.