From a crime to the freedom to marry on high?

By Andy Eddins
Apr 27, 2010 at 08:35 am

As posted by Jason Shaw on gayagenda.com:

It was only as recently as 2007, that homosexuality was still a crime in Nepal, with a prison sentence of up to two years. Gay and lesbian people were beaten up and harassed by the police, denounced by Maoist rebels as “a product of capitalism.”

Yet fast forward three short years to now, and this tiny Himalayan nation is so different it quite takes your breath away. For it is not only set to become the first in Asia to honor the freedom to marry, it’s also promoting weddings for same-sex couples on Everest in an attempt to become the continent’s top gay tourist destination!

"[Sharat Singh Bhandari, the Tourism Minister] kicked off the marketing campaign in October with a written message to the International Conference on Gay & Lesbian Tourism in Boston — an unprecedented gesture for an Asian minister. 'As the world knows, Nepal is the land of Mount Everest, world’s highest peak and the birth place of Lord Buddha, light of Asia,' the message said. 'I, therefore, would like to take this opportunity to invite and welcome all the sexual and gender minorities from around the world.'”

Click to read the full post: [Link]