Nepali-US national wed in first such same-sex marriage in Kathmandu

Two young men, a Nepali and a US citizen, married here on Thursday, the first such instance involving a foreigner in the Himalayan nation after its Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriage.

The organisation that facilitated the marriage said Nepal can be a hub for same-sex marriage, which can help promote tourism.

Nepal's Supreme Court, in June 2023, issued an interim order to legalise same-sex marriages in the country after a writ petition was filed by people from the sexual minority community.

Following that interim order, Nepal’s Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung had registered same-sex marriage in November 2023, a first time for South Asia.

On Thursday, the marriage between Nepal's Prajeet Budhathoki, 27, and US citizen Joseph Foster Elis, 30, was solemnised in a hotel here as per the Hindu rituals amid the chanting of Vedic mantras.

The ceremony was attended by around 50 people, including those from the sexual minority community, diplomats, family members and media persons.

The couple later exchanged rings as per the Christian tradition in the presence of a Christrian priest.

This same-sex marriage was facilitated by Maya Ko Pahichan, the organisation working for the welfare of LGBT community headed by LGBT activist Sunil Babu Panta, who is the first gay Member of Parliament of Nepal.

"This is the first marriage between a Nepali gay man and a foreign gay man. This is a historic moment for us", Panta said.

Nepal can be a hub for destination weddings for same sex-marriage, which will ultimately help promote tourism, he added.

On Monday, Prajeet and Joseph legally registered their marriage at Dharan Sub-Metropolitan City in Sunsari district of Eastern Nepal as same-sex marriage and received a marriage certificate from the local body.

New Yorkers Joseph, who is pursuing a PhD in Sanskrit language at the Tribhuvan University here, and Prajeet, who runs a queer travel company in Nepal, met in Kathmandu two years ago.

"This is so amazing that our love is being recognised", Joseph said shortly after the wedding ceremony. "To be able to marry as a gay is a privilege, and we are very happy for this".

Joseph has now decided to live in Nepal with his partner Prajeet.