Kathmandu/Pahichan – Respected Ladies, gentleman and LGBTI community,  May 17 is International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia which is celebrated in more than 130 countries. This day highlights the plights and violence’s faced by homosexual and transgender and reaffirms commitments to end violence against this community.

We are going to organize Miss Pink Peagent  2016, jointly organized by  CruiseAIDS Nepal and Blue Diamond Society.

I would like to welcome Chief Guest Hari Phuyal,Nepal and Bhutan Country Director of UNAIDS, Dr. Ruben Del Prado, jury of beauty contest, ambassadors and other heads of diplomatic mission, journalists, students and members of gender and sexual minority among others.

The theme for 2016 is “Mental Health and Well-Being, with an emphasis on depathologizing LGBTI people and bringing an end to therapies claiming to change sexual orientation and gender identities. Various programs are being organized against the violence and hatred against this community.

In Nepal, we are organizing Miss Pink Peagent which is an important event. The competition is a campaign with several challenges which highlights the formation of necessary laws and ensuring the self-respect to this community. Additionally, it is not just a beauty contest; it is an opportunity to demonstrate the skills, capacity and arts of the gender and sexual minority in order to ensure their rights.

I am very grateful to all the participants because you are helping and supporting us through your gracious presence here.  I would again like to express my sincere thanks on the behalf of me, BDS and Cruse AIDs.  It is because of your love, assistances, company and support, members of this community are capable of taking some breath of satisfaction in recent years.

Newly adopted constitution has already institutionalized the rights of gender and sexual minority. In many countries, members of this community are compelled to live in a pathetic condition. They are forced to live with violence, discrimination and boycott in society.

Recently, a rights activist in Bangladesh has been murdered.  In America, which is known as largest democracy of world, members of this community are denied from going to public toilets in Caroline  and Missishipi.

Such discriminatory and inhuman activities would badly affected the mental and physical health of sexual and gender minority. I want to end such activities and behavior. BDS has a dream of abolishing all types of discrimination against LGBTI and set an example in internal area. Beauty competition is a mean to achieve our goal.   I would like to thank UNDP, AHF, UNAIDS, Cosmid and FSGMN for their economic assistance to make this program a success.

Finally, I would like to express my wishes for the success of all participants.

Thank you.

(Blue Diamond Society Presidents  Pinky Gurung remarks on IDAHOT)