UPI en Español  |   UPI Asia  |   About UPI  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Nepal seeks same-sex tourists

|
 
Published: April 21, 2010 at 9:57 AM

KATHMANDU, Nepal, April 21 (UPI) -- Nepal, a country that classified homosexuality as a crime just three years ago, is now seeking to become a top destination for gays, its tourism minister says.

Sharat Singh Bhandari says not only is his country about to become the first in Asia to allow same-sex marriage but it is also promoting gay weddings on Mount Everest, The Times of London reported Wednesday.

In addition to mountain weddings, Nepal's tourism board is considering offering elephant safaris to gay honeymooners and a variety of other special activities.

Sunil Babu Pant, Nepal's leading gay rights activist and the only openly homosexual lawmaker in South Asia, deserves much of the credit for his country's progress, The Times says.

Pant founded the Blue Diamond Society, an organization with 120,000 members that has been campaigning for gay rights.

A same-sex marriage law is currently working its way through Nepal's parliament.

© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
'Star Trek Into Darkness' screening NBC upfronts Met Ball 2013
'Great Gatsby' premieres in New York Spire raised on top of One WTC 2013: Celebrity break ups and divorces
Additional World News Stories
1 of 16
Tornadoes Devastate Moore, Oklahoma
View Caption
A damaged movie theater is seen in aftermath of a series of tornadoes in Moore, Oklahoma, May 21, 2013. On May 20 a series of tornadoes swept through severals towns south of Oklahoma City leaving a path of destruction and killing at least 24 people. UPI/J.P. Wilson
fark
"If you're going to act like Nellie Olsen, you're going to dress like Nellie Olsen." Mom punishes...
Real estate tip: Just because your house overlooks a golf course doesn't mean it will always be...
Man breaks into fortune teller's home to get his money back after love spell fails. Guess she didn't...
Marijuana bacon. Dude
You run out of gas along the interstate. Do you A: Call a friend for help? B: Call a tow truck?...
Thanks to generous donations a 91 year old WWII vet will not be evicted from his home of 56 years...