Nepal looks to the gay tourism market for an economic boost.
This Hindu nation maintains an openly gay parliament, reports the Associated Press, and looks to welcome gay rights, and maybe marriage, in its new constitution.
Nepal representatives hope to increase tourism by attracting more gays to the area.
“They do have a lot of income … they are high-spending consumers,” said Aditya Baral, spokesman for the Nepal Tourism Board, to AP. “If they behave well, if they have money, we don’t discriminate”
One such attraction would be marriages at the Everest base camp with a honeymoon on an elephant safari. The only catch is the marriage would not be legal, as Nepal cannot marry foreign individuals.
“It’s a land of minorities, and we support each other,” said Sunil Pant, a member of parliament, to AP. “We all have been marginalized so long, and it makes sense that we extend solidarity to each other’s rights and issues.”
To read more on this story, visit the Associated Press.
