Annual Pride parade taken out in Kathmandu with rainbow flags, slogans
Jun 11, 2022
Kathmandu [Nepal], June 11 : After being halted for three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the annual Pride parade was taken out in Nepal's Kathmandu on Saturday.
The participants marched with rainbow-coloured flags raising slogans.
"After so many years, Pride is being held... most of us had known that our identities and labels don't align with normative labels. We're now here celebrating pride and pride is a protest and pride is a celebration as well," Dr Manita Newa Khadgi, participant of Nepal Pride Parade- 2022 told ANI.
On Saturday, the group marched near the Federal Parliament chanting slogans and holding placards. The group has been demanding recognition and fighting for its identity. They have been demanding legalization of same-sex marriage and the issue of adoption of children.
The newly promulgated constitution of Nepal in September of 2015 has special provisions for sexual minorities but the group has been demanding to complete its implementation.
Pratigya Kayastha, an activist who took part in the Nepal Pride Parade said: "I think it has evolved a lot. People are more aware than before and I think it is growing and getting stronger."
It is called the fourth annual Pride parade but the physical version of the parade has been held for the second time since its inception in 2019. Though the Constitution of Nepal 2072 has been deemed as LGBTIQA friendly, Nepal doesn't have an official queer population.
Queer Youth Group, youth-led queer organization in collaboration with Queer Rights Collective has organized the annual celebration.
The organizers stressed that "Nepal has been holding a parade for people of marginalized sexual orientation, gender identity and sex characteristics annually on the second Saturday of June."
