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Loading ...Nepal Supreme Court orders full LGBT rights
11.19.2008 5:13pm EST
(Katmandu) Nepal’s highest court has ordered the government to repeal laws against homosexuality and to enact legislation granting full rights to the country’s LGBT population, including the right to marry.
The court in its ruling criticized the the Maoist-led government for dragging its feet on a summary ruling last December that said the government must create new laws to protect gay rights and change current ones that might be tantamount to discrimination.The government since May, when democracy was restored to the Himalayan country, has brought in some new laws – among them a recognition of the transgendered as “a third sex” – but has been slow to amend others.
In its ruling, the Supreme Court directed the government to enact all necessary laws to guarantee full rights to gays. That includes, the court ruled, the right to marry and for partners in a relationship to jointly own property and have inheritance rights.
Sunil Plant, the founder of the LGBT rights group Blue Diamond Society and Nepal’s only openly gay member of Parliament, welcomed the ruling.
“The court has instructed the government against making any discrimination on the basis of sex. This is a landmark decision for the sexual minorities and we welcome it,” Plant told Press Trust India.
“The court ordered the government to form a seven member committee to formulate laws that recognize same-sex marriages in European countries, ending all types of discriminations against gays and lesbians,” he said.
So far, the government has not responded to the ruling.
Plant was elected to Parliament in May representing a district in Katmandu, the capital – part of a leftist sweep following the abolition of the monarchy and a return to democracy in the country.
Plant predicted the ruling would end widespread LGBT discrimination that had plagued the tiny country.
Until recently, members of Nepal’s LGBT community were arbitrarily arrested, held without a hearing and beaten and tortured by prison guards.
In 2006, police arrested 26 transsexuals in one raid. According to Blue Diamond, they were taken to the Hanuman Dhoka central police station in Kathmandu where they were held for weeks without being allowed to contact anyone.
Nepal was one of several countries named in the State Department report on human rights violators in 2006.
In April last year, two young lesbians captured by Maoist guerrillas in southern Nepal in March were been released after promising to join the rebels.
Blue Diamond also said that people working in the areas of HIV prevention are regularly harassed by police.
In March, Katmandu’s only hospice for gay men with HIV/AIDS was closed after neighbors mounted a campaign against its landlord for allowing the hospice to open in the area.
Twelve patients, four of whom are terminally ill and unable to walk, were evacuated from the building on only a few hour notice.
The hospice was funded by the Elton John Foundation and operated by Blue Diamond Society.
When you wrote this colum, you forgot to point out that Nepal didn’t remove transgender from its non-descrimination bill, whereas EDNA did.
The USA is in disgrace right now. Sheer disgrace.
Bruce said:”why wasn’t there more of a fight to put it (Prop
to rest while the election was in process.” ///
Hmmmm…could it be because the GLBT Obama-zombies were scrambling about like hyped-up lemmings and more interested in getting Obama elected than fighting for their OWN rights while Obama’s cronies were trolling for anti-gay votes in the so-called “christian” community?
I agree with Bruce who said: “The USA gay community sat and watched their rights be taken away and now they want justice ….LOL…… fool FOOLS fools.”
…DITTO on that!
Yep, it’s kind of like helping someone to build their house while they’re helping other people to burn your own house down behind your back.
Now, before some sycophant like “Blacksteel” says: Oh, you’re nothing but a McCain/Palin supporter and a Republican spreading lies on a GLBT cite….
Well, first of all, shove it “Blacksteel“, just because someone doesn’t care for your candidate that doesn’t make him or her a Republican or even a Third Party supporter. I even liked Obama — at first. I would have voted for him if he had made an effort to speak out against Prop 8 during the election. California was a safe state for him. He could have sent the message loud and clear to the Black Community especially (70% for Prop
and to his other supporters that it was not only immoral but just plain wrong to vote against another minorities civil rights.
But what did he do? NOTHING. He did absolutely NOTHING to discourage the yes vote on Prop 8.
And his saying NOTHING speaks volumes about his lack of commitment to full equality. He contributed to the passage of Prop 8 by the constant repeating of his lame “I believe marriage is between a man and woman” crap when obviously this bigoted idiot acted like he was unaware of the fact that tens of thousands of gays are already legally married in this f*cked up country in Massachusetts and in California, as well as the thousands of American citizens who were wed in Canada .
So now, “Blacksteel” and fellow gay Uncle Toms, this is your cue again to spew your delusional propaganda that tries to arm-twist the GLBT into believing that Obama walks on water — even after he kicks mud in your face. Let’s see how long the love affair last after January 2009. I bet you think that Bill Clinton is still really cool after DADT and DOMA. Like all fanatics you are as bad as the people you claim to oppose. Pathetic. Really pathetic.
Behold America, another nation shows you the way…….and a non-western nation at that.
As Christina sang: “Whatcha waitin’ for?”
Rodney Moore said: “Obama sellouts keep trying to sell the snake oil known as civil unions”
Yeah, McCain/Palin and their religious right supporters who are against all gay rights were a much better choice for gays. Why aren’t all gays as smart and loyal as the 27% who voted for our declared enemies?
Meanwhile, back at the ranch (USA), we’re still standing outside the courts, hats in hand, begging to be freed from the tyranny of the religious reich.
You really can’t get any more Catholic than Spain, but marriage and rights for it gay subjects is a done deal; not because the church didn’t try to stymie the process, but because the people have a government that represents ALL of its citizens!! Are you listening Obama!!?!?!?!?
Did anyone with a memory ever think that they would see the day when South Africa would have justice!?!? ; the land of apartheid and the doom & gloom Dutch church!?
Even Cuba is mulling gay rights over!
There’s a pattern here, and its that the people have put religious institutions in the proper place.
So is Katmandu the real SHANGRI-LA?
I think I’m Going to KATMANDU!!
That’s really really where I’m going to!
If I ever get out of here,
that’s what I’m gonna do!!
K-K-K-K-K-K-K-KATMANDU!!!!
I think that’s really where I’m going to!
If i ever get out of here,
I’M GOING TO KAAAAAAATMANDU!!!
Congrats Nepal! You put the “freest” country in history to shame! Keep up the good work! Never, never NEVER ever take your new found freedoms for granted! Fight for them daily NO MATTER WHAT!! =))
Nepal, a non-western country with a history of being a theocracy has LGBT rights ahead of the United States. This is wonderful for gays in Nepal, but it makes the United States and our abysmal record on gay rights a sick joke.
Nations like Nepal, South Africa, Spain and the like are zooming past us at the speed of light, while gay “leaders” and Obama sellouts keep trying to sell the snake oil known as civil unions and trying to tell us to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism.
Good job HRC, good job Stonewall Democrats. We’re no longer the laughing stock of the Western world, we’re now being passed up by Nepal.