Pinky Gurung/Pahichan – Blue Diamond Society has been working in the sector of LGBTI rights since 17 years. For the rights of our community, we have fought many legal battles, and thus established our rights in the constitution, but it isn’t being implemented as per our expectation.

That is why Mr. Gay Handsome isn’t just a beauty contest but a medium for gay men to show their capability and raise voice against social inequality, injustice and fight for human rights and liberty, in a strong way.

Our Nepalese society is still homophobic and patriarchal. The social structures created by majority heterosexuals, are limited to gender heterosexuals only. There isn’t any social norm that is for LGBTI people. Heterosexuality is only considered by society as normal. Due to this social norm, homosexual people are still reluctant to come out and openly speak about themselves.

In ancient temples and structures homosexual relations have been carved and drawn in a beautiful manner, contemporary Nepalese society still has not accepted it. Due to this reason, homosexual people hesitate to come out in open. More than 95% of homosexuals are forced to stay in a heterosexual relation.

In a country that has the law of marital rape, homosexual people are forced to get married into heterosexual relations and get raped every day. In order to implement the written law, it is necessary to bring change in thoughts of individuals.

Where is our right to Freedom? Why are we forced to live a life full of misery due to lack of social acceptance? Until when should we wait for getting equal rights? Such kinds of question come in my mind every time.

Every night, I dream that my community’s rights have been assured. It is because I see my community crying everyday due to injustice. A lot of homosexuals have gone abroad due to family pressure. And then homosexuals face physical and mental violence as well as abuse. Being outcasted from family property and committing suicide, these things go around my mind.

Just due to lack of social acceptance, homosexuals are compelled to suppress their feelings and attraction. That is why we are not able to be strong on social, cultural, economic, political and educational backgrounds. A lot left to do, for changing the condition of this community. Being boycotted from society since centuries, we are still marginalized

In order to eliminate this inequality, we need to raise our voice strongly for Marriage Equality. This will make lives of LGBTI more structured and stable. This is also another way of minimizing social and cultural barriers to our lives. This is the remedy to social exclusiveness.

If we are not open, our issues will also remain in closet. If we won’t be open, when will our society be? That is why today, we have sixteen of our contestants who are here visible to the society. These contestants have come up to the field, with their hearts filled with courage with an aim to change this society.

I want to really honor these brave people on the stage and want to tell them, that today in this competition, no one is going to lose. No matter whoever wins the stage, we all have won collectively.

Where there is day, there is night. Where there is sun, there is rain. Where there is birth, there is death as well. Where the heterosexuals exist, homosexuals also exist alongside. Where there are men and women, there are also transgender and intersex people. This is the diversity of nature.