Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey are prominent Nepal LGBTQI+ activists
Find out more about them and their recent news.
On November 29, a same-s*x couple in Nepal achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first to have their marriage recognized by the government.
Who are LGBTQ activists Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey first same s*x marriage couple in Nepal
Congratulations to Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung on the registration of their marriage! While this has been a long road for both of them, this is an important milestone for so many. pic.twitter.com/v88Njy2YuG
— U.S. Ambassador Dean R. Thompson (@USAmbNepal) December 1, 2023
Surendra Pandey & Maya Gurung pose for the photo after officially becoming the 1st same gender married couple in Nepal. ❤️
Pic. NPL pic.twitter.com/v31t1xdqPB
— Routine of Nepal banda (@RONBupdates) December 1, 2023
This was a major turning point in the country’s progress toward LGBTQ+ rights. In the stunning mountains to the west of Kathmandu, Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey celebrated this historic occasion by registering their marriage at the Dorje village council office.
Notable LGBTQ+ campaigner and former parliamentarian Sunil Babu Pant was there and provided support for the couple. Speaking about the success, he said,
After 23 years of struggle, we got this historic achievement, and finally Maya and Surendra got their marriage registered at the local administration office.
Since then, the event has become a trending topic of discussion all over the world, with many international publications celebrating it and marking it as a historic transformative change. So, let’s find out everything about Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey:
Who were Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey?
Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey were prominent Nepali LGBTQI+ activists. They have been in the news because they became the first same-s*x couple to officially register their marriage in Nepal.
While Surendra is a cisgender man, Maya is a transgender woman. Six years ago, they started their journey when they married in a temple, surrounded by their loved ones, following Hindu customs. However, given the absence of official recognition, their nuptials remained unacknowledged. They have now received formal recognition of their connection thanks to their recent registration.
Sunil Babu Pant, a tireless champion for LGBTQ+ rights, reflected on the 23-year struggle culminating in this historic achievement. He described the couple’s early difficulties getting their marriage registered, including denials in spite of court petitions to the High Court and District Court of Kathmandu.
But things took a turn for the better when the Home Ministry made changes to the administrative procedure that allowed all local offices to acknowledge and record same-sex weddings.