Nepal’s queer couples caught in red tape

Nearly two years after the Supreme Court allowed same-sex marriage registration, queer couples in the country still face discrimination and inconsistent enforcement.

On June 28, 2023, Nepal’s Supreme Court issued an interim order mandating the government to temporarily register same-sex marriages. Queer-rights activists welcomed the verdict as “ historic ”. Five months later, the country made headlines worldwide for registering the same-sex marriage of Maya Gurung and Surendra Pandey.