Nepal Celebrates First Pride March

Hundreds attended Nepal's first ever gay Pride procession Thursday, Aug.26, 2010 in the country's capital, Kathmandu.

Despite heavy rain, a crowd of young men and women in colourful costumes and masks marched through the city in a display of Pride.

The celebrations coincided with Gai Jatra, a historical festival held in memory of the recently deceased, in which participants also dress up and parade through the streets.

Last week saw Nepal’s first foreign gay "wedding", also in Kathmandu, between a British man and his Indian partner.

Although there are no laws legalising same sex marriages in Nepal, marriages conducted by priests are generally accepted by Nepalese society.

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Additional notes:

Nepal is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India. With an area of 147,181 square kilometres (56,827 sq mi) and a population of approximately 30 million, Nepal is the world's 93rd largest country by land mass[6] and the 41st most populous country. Kathmandu is the nation's capital and the country's largest metropolitan city.