Being a gay man in Nepal Act I

Sometimes I forget how hard the gay community fought(and is still fighting)to get their civil rights in the so-called developed world.

Blue Diamond Society in Nepal just entered the barricades and describes themselves as follows:

Blue Diamond Society (BDS) was founded in 2001 in an effort to address the needs of MSMs (an umbrella term to include both men who have sex with men whom identify as gay and those men who have sex with men whom identify as heterosexual because they are the "penetrator") in Nepal. It is Nepal's only organization for and by gay men.

...and this is what they do:

Since its inception, BDS' efforts have focused on HIV/AIDS/STI prevention and outreach education. At present, BDS conducts the only HIV/AIDS/STI prevention program in Nepal that targets the MSM community. In addition to a weekly clinic that offers free HIV/AIDS/STI check-ups and treatment, BDS provides a weekly social support group, a weekly training on safe-sex practices, a weekly queer or safe-sex film show, and a 24-hour drop-in center. BDS organizes and participates in many local community events to raise awareness and discussion of MSMs, sexualities, genders and sexual health practices in Nepal.


A former volunteer for the Blue Diamond Society writes, "When Nepalis ask me where I volunteer, I tell them I work with an organization for and by gay Nepali men. The response to my answer is uniform. Their eyes widen as their face takes on various looks of shock, amusement and curiosity. The standard reply is, "Gay men in Nepal? I didn't know there were any.""

This vignette is representative of the struggle gay Nepali males face. Many Nepalis deny the existence of homosexuals in their community, often claiming it is a "western import." This denial, compounded with a refusal to discuss sexualities, genders and safe-sex health practices, creates enormous psychological consequences for gay men and health consquences for the entire Nepali community. Gay Nepali men are often pressured into a heterosexual marriage by their families. Many lead double lives in order to be true to their sexuality and selves. Because there are no "safe" spaces for these men, the double life of a gay Nepali man often includes having sex with MSMs in dangerous, unsanitary conditions. MSMs, forced to have sex in hidden locations where the use of contraceptives is not convenient, are likely to go unprotected (the use of condoms in Nepal is rare across sexualities).