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First gay weekly to be launched in Nepal
By Sudeshna Sarkar
January 2, 2005
Kathmandu - Nepal's first gay weekly highlighting issues affecting the
country's burgeoning gay community will hit the stands in the third week of
January.
The eight-page Blue Diamond Weekly in English and Nepalese, funded by the
British embassy, aims to sensitise locals about the gay community.
It is being launched by Blue Diamond Society, an NGO that was started in 2001
by Nepalese gay rights activist Sunil Panta to disseminate information about
the risk of contracting HIV and AIDS through unprotected same gender sex and
provide a voice to a community that alleges persecution by family members,
employers and even police.
The Blue Diamond Society complains that its members are rounded up by police
and beaten up. It is currently facing a case filed by a lawyer who wants the
government to shut it down.
Nepalese lawyer Achyut Prasad Kharal last year filed a public interest petition
in the Supreme Court against the government and the home ministry, accusing
them of abetting immoral activities by permitting the society to function.
The suit is to be heard on Jan 18, just days before the first copies of the gay
weekly roll out.
Sunil Panta admits the case will affect the society as well as the weekly.
"Though the home ministry has asked the court to dismiss the case, once the
court gives its verdict, there could be a crackdown on the society's
activities," he says. "But a weekly is the best way of reaching out to local
people."
The weekly, which plans to have its own web site, would be distributed free
among grass-roots organisations and schools.
"It is not going to be explicit or controversial," Panta says. "The issues are
those that have been marginalised and need to be focused on like sexuality,
minorities, HIV/AIDS and people living with AIDS, rights of all people, stigma
and discrimination."
There would also be personal stories and an agony aunt column and some of the
staple columns of non-specialised magazines like recipes, beauty tips and even
how-to, like "how to remove pickle stains from your pants".
Last year, the Blue Diamond Society was honoured by a gay rights organisation
in Thailand for its pioneering work in Nepal. Since then, the society has
developed its ties with Thai activists and institutions.
Indo-Asian News Service
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