The Supreme Court issued the order on Wednesday allowing for the temporary registration of marriages for same-sex and non-traditional couples.
“At a personal level, for those who are living together it is a huge victory. Practically, they can register their marriage and their rights can be immediately exercised,” said Sunil Babu Pant, an openly gay former parliamentarian and leading LGBTQ+ rights activist in Nepal. Since a court decision in 2007 asking the government to make changes in favour of LGBTQ+ people, Nepal has undergone major changes. People who do not identify as female or male are now able to choose “third gender” on their passports and other government documents. The new constitution also explicitly states there can be no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.
The couple got married six years ago at a temple following Hindu tradition with a priest conducting the rituals among friends and family. They have not received any certificate to show their marriage is legal.