Russian centre in Nepal stops screening gay film

KATHMANDU - Nepal’s sexual minorities are stung by the refusal of the Russian Cultural Centre in Kathmandu, run by the Russian government, to screen a documentary on gay rights even though the auditorium at the centre had been booked in advance by Nepal’s pioneering gay rights organisation Blue Diamond Society (BDS).

BDS had planned a premiere of “The Struggle Within”, a documentary featuring five people who were discriminated against by the state and public due to their sexual orientations, at the Russian Cultural Centre Monday.

The documentary, made by trade unionist Manoj Pandey, chronicles the hardship faced by a lesbian couple who were fired by the Nepal Army in 2007, a second pair who were thrown out by the Maoists from their People’s Liberation Army in 2005 and a transgender worker at a restaurant in Pokhara city who was sacked.

The film was made with support from the European Union, which has been supportive of the gay rights movement in Nepal and has funded schemes to help persecuted gays stand on their own feet economically.

However, the screening of the film was prevented “at the last moment” by Russian officials.

Russian Culture Centre officials told BDS the show would have to be halted since “sexual and gender minorities issues are against Russian law and religion”.

“It’s very unfortunate that Russian Culture Centre tried to impose Russian law and religion on Nepali soil,” BDS founder and Nepal’s only openly gay member of parliament Sunil Pant said, condemning the incident.

“We condemn the Russian Culture Centre’s unfortunate decision which is against the Supreme Court’s decision and against the Nepal government’s policy that is inclusive of sexual and gender minorities.”

The gay rights movement in South Asia received a boost three years ago when Nepal’s Supreme Court recognised homosexuality as a natural phenomenon and asked the government to end all discrimination against gays, lesbians and transgenders.

Nepal also became the first country in South Asia to give its nod to same-sex marriages.

Nepal’s sexual minorities took part in the historic election in 2008 and are now participating in the process to draft a new constitution that will be promulgated in May.

The BDS is asking the coalition government of Nepal to issue directives to foreign organisations like the Russian Culture Centre to obey Nepal’s laws on Nepal’s soil and stop discrimination against any Nepali citizen, regardless of sexual orientation and gender identity.

It is also asking trade unions to look into the matter.

Pant this year started Nepal’s first gay tourism agency that is offering gay wedding packages at the foot of Mt Everest and other exotic thrills.

Russian gay rights activists are rallying behind the Nepal organisation.

Russian gay activist Nikolai Alekseev, who heads Moscow Pride and GayRussia, called the incident unacceptable in a democratic society.

“Russia is known for its official institutionalised homophobia,” Alekseev said in a statement from Moscow. “I can only advise Nepali activists to go to court and challenge this homophobia.”