{"id":7700,"date":"2017-07-03T18:52:49","date_gmt":"2017-07-03T13:07:49","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/pahichan.com\/?p=7700"},"modified":"2017-07-03T18:52:49","modified_gmt":"2017-07-03T13:07:49","slug":"why-nepal-may-never-call-it-a-gay-pride-march","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pahichan.com\/en\/why-nepal-may-never-call-it-a-gay-pride-march\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Nepal may never call it a Gay Pride\u00a0March?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sunil Babu Pant\/Pahichan – For many western LGBTIQ communities this time of the year every year, the months of June\/July, is the month of pride and month of showing visibility.<\/h1>\n

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Nepali LGBTIQ communities started celebrating similar yet, philosophically, very different event since 2002. Many \u2018Western\u2019 then friends asked me: \u201cWhy have you started celebrating \u2018Gai-Jatra festival<\/em>\u2019 instead of organizing a\u00a0\u2018Gay Pride March<\/em>\u201d like we do in the Western Countries?\u201d I tried to explain from the \u2018safety and mainstreaming\u2019 point of view then, but let me explain from the philosophical point of view for choosing \u201cGai-Jatra festival<\/em>\u201d over \u201cGay Pride March<\/em>\u201d.<\/p>\n

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First,\u00a0Gai-Jatra<\/em>\u00a0is an already existing, more than 500 years old, festival continuously celebrated in Nepal during the month of August every year, especially among the\u00a0Newar<\/em>\u00a0Communities in Kathmandu valley, where young men wear lavish, dramatic, extravagant cross-dressing, makeups and masks, with music, dance\u00a0, color, water and food. This festival is equally celebrated by both the\u00a0Buddhists and Hindus<\/em>\u00a0of Nepal.<\/p>\n

Jatra<\/em>\u00a0(or\u00a0Yatra<\/em>\u00a0in Sanskrit), literally means a journey, traditionally done by individuals or groups or communities, as a pilgrimage to reach their desired destination. The primary purpose of such\u00a0Yatra<\/em>\u00a0(as pilgrimages) is, according to Buddhist: to discover to your higher self; and according to Hindus: to unite to the supreme God. Along the\u00a0Yatra<\/em>, your excitement grows as you get closer and closer to the destination; and once you reach the destination you are aesthetic with the sense of bliss, either feeling united to the God or to your higher self. So you celebrate\u2026.<\/p>\n

Whereas the concept of\u00a0Pride March<\/em>\u00a0(and not just\u00a0Gay Pride March<\/em>\u00a0but any\u00a0Pride March<\/em>) is understood differently in the East then in the West.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s try to understand the words \u2018Pride<\/strong>\u2019 and \u2018March<\/strong>\u2019 according to Eastern understanding:<\/p>\n

The word \u2018Prid<\/em>e\u2019, translated as \u2018Garva\u2019<\/em>\u00a0in Sanskrit, comes with a trace of arrogance. It is not a bad word but it is not taken positively either when you say, \u2018I am proud of myself<\/strong>\u2019. (It may have completely different connotation in the West<\/em>).<\/p>\n

Unlike the \u2018Yatra<\/strong>\u2019, where the journey is to discover something (either the higher self or the God, according to your beliefs), the word \u2018March<\/strong>\u2019 is understood as to takeover or conquer the space that is controlled by others. \u2018March<\/strong>\u2019 may become necessary only to reclaim your lost space\/land but if nobody has conquered your space the \u2018March<\/strong>\u2019 can cause intimidation to others (Think about a Military Marching! or even a political Party Marching with loud speakers!).<\/p>\n

As Nepal never colonized, hence never criminalized homosexuals and third genders, and the Nepali societies are relatively more tolerant towards our LGBTIQ populations compare to many other countries across the world, the \u2018Gay Pride Marching<\/strong>\u2019 is not only unnecessary but can become counterproductive too, if being too much on the face.<\/p>\n

So, instead, we choose\u00a0Gai-Jatra<\/strong>, our own ancient festival, to celebrate and this \u2018Jatra\/Yatra<\/strong>\u2019 every year helps us to discover who we are, helps us to connect to our higher self and\u00a0not to feel proud<\/strong>\u00a0but\u00a0feel good<\/strong>\u00a0about ourselves.<\/p>\n

Wish you a Happy\u00a0Gai-Jatra<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

Thank you and Namaste.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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