Posted on 08/17/2010 12:14:41 PM PDT by nickcarraway
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.
“We read on the Internet that Nepal’s Supreme Court has approved of same-sex marriages,” said the 30-year-old, identified only as S Khan. “Since they are still not legal in India, we decided to come to Nepal to get married.”
Khan said he and his partner came to know about BDS last year when Indian papers carried the news about BDS founder and Nepal’s first openly gay MPSunil Babu Pant opening a travel agency, Pink Mountain, to help gays and lesbians travel to Nepal to get married or honeymoon. After an exchange of vows, rings and garlands Tuesday evening, the pair will be issued a certificate by BDS declaring them man and wife.
“Though Nepal’s apex court has approved same sex marriages and instructed the government to enact laws in accordance, the actual laws are yet to be formulated,” Pant told TNN. “We were hoping the new constitution would be promulgated in May and legally validate same-sex marriages. (Since the constitution was not ready by May) we hope the marriage laws will now be ready when the constitution comes into effect in May 2011.”
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.
Ahmedabad...................
Which one is the catcher?
Mixed marriage!
Berry,berry good, sab!
Which one wears the burqua?
Need a picture of Kirk saying,”Khaaaaaaan”
Sexual perversion will be rampant by the time this is all said and done and the very weakest among humanity will be caught in a net of tragic bondage and despair.
God, please intervene very soon!!
Who gets custody of the goat if they divorce?
This isn’t a mixed marriage, they are both dudes.
They need to celebrate diversity and find someone with complimentary genitalia.
Nepal has been overrun by Maoist commies. Why am I not surprised at this?
I think I’m goin’ to Katmandu
I think it’s really where I’m goin’ to
Hey, if I ever get out of here
That’s what I’m gonna do
K-k-k-k-k-k-katmandu
I think it’s really where I’m goin’ to
Hey, if I ever get out of here
I’m goin’ to Katmandu
I got no kick against the West Coast
Warner Brothers are such good hosts
I raise my whiskey glass and give ‘em a toast
I’m sure they know it’s true
I got no rap against the Southern states
Every time I been there it’s been great
But now I’m leaving and I can’t be late
And to myself be true
That’s why I’m goin’ to Katmandu
Really, really, really goin’, too
Hey if I ever get out of here
That’s what I’m gonna do
Whoa, Katmandu
Take me with you, ‘cause I’m goin’ with you
Now, if I ever get out of here
I’m goin’ to Katmandu
I got no quarrel with the Midwest
The folks out there have given me their best
I’ve lived there all my life, I’ve been their guest
I sure have loved it, too
I’m tired of looking at the TV news
I’m tired of drivin’ hard and payin’ dues
I figure, baby, I got nothin’ to lose
I’m tired of bein’ blue
That’s why I’m goin’ to Katmandu
Up to the mountains where I’m going to
If I ever get out of here
That’s what I’m gonna do
K-k-k-k-k-k-Katmandu
Really, really, really goin’, too
If I ever get out of here
I’m goin’ to Katmandu
I ain’t got nothin’ ‘gainst the East Coast
You want some people, well they got the most
New York City’s like a friendly old ghost
You seem to cruise right through
I know I’m gonna miss the USA
I guess I’ll miss it every single day
But no one loves me here any way
I know my plane is due
The one that’s goin’ to Katmandu
Really, really goin’, too
Hey, if I ever get out of here
That’s what I’m gonna do, gonna do
Katmandu
Take me with you, ‘cause I’m goin’ with you
Now, if I ever get out of here
If I ever get out of here
If I ever get out of here
I’m goin’ to Katmandu
—Bob Seger
And which one is going to take Viagra?
Of course it’s a mixed marriage.
One guy is Muslim, the other guy is Hindi.
Now THAT’s a mix!
Gives a whole new way to look at “Himalayan”. Wonder if they’re going to rename K2 to KY?
Morally speaking, this is very tragic. Humanly speaking, I’m trying very hard not to laugh.
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