Gai Jatra is a festival met with singing, dancing and laughter! This is the time of the year when various comedy shows hit the big stage or have televised performances. Today is also a day when Nepal’s LGBTIQ+ community come together, from Province 1 to Province 7, to remember loved ones they have lost. If you do a quick research behind Gai Jatra, you will learn that it’s a celebration that takes place with much gusto in the Kathmandu Valley to commemorate the death of loved ones.
Now putting two and two together, you may be able to assume how the link between Nepal’s LGBTIQ+ population and Gai Jatra emerged. When I spoke to the very early founders of Blue Diamond Society, the group that started the remembrance celebration, they highlighted the sole purpose of Gai Jatra being the reason why the LGBTIQ community picked the day.
Blue Diamond Society chose Gai Jatra to honour friends they had lost, to remember, reflect and celebrate them and the community.
The early years of the LGBTIQ movement in Nepal sounds tough from what I’ve been told… excess force by the police often grabbed front page headlines, many LGBTIQ+ people struggled alone with their health or emerging conditions and sadly, many friends were lost to suicide.
Till this day, the questions come annually regarding why LGBTIQ+ people celebrate and organise the parade on the day of Gai Jatra. I guess this is a forever question. Thankfully there are festivals and parades organised by Queer groups at different times of the year now… and I say, bring on more! However, I wanted to write today to reiterate that there’s meaning behind LGBTIQ+ community picking Gai Jatra. Of course, that may come as a surprise because I realise there may not be meaning behind all that we see or do. Sometimes let’s let life surprise us.
Personally, my first time attending the parade by Blue Diamond Society was back in 2011 when it took place in Bharatpur. Now that’s a good thirteen years ago! Just saying that makes me feel old. A lot of differences then to now… I wasn’t out about my sexual orientation but I guess I was brave enough to go there, film the people on the day and document it as part of my Lex in Nepal youtube video. I cannot bring myself to watch the video because I just shudder thinking about how I’ve probably used all the incorrect terminologies… I guess life is a journey of learning and I continue to learn!
As I marched alongside friends, familiar faces and the new, I waved the non-binary flag that was handed over to me by a friend at BDS. The learning continues and I am here for it; to challenge my own assumptions and to be more curious and ensure that there’s space for everyone.
Unfortunately, we are at a time where it seems that majority of the population are yet to harness the power of critical thinking. Equally, those of us that write, share content and have thousands or even millions in reach fail to provide much context when we share news updates. When photos of LGBTIQ+ people marching on the day of Gai Jatra is shared without much context then it quickly stirs people, ignites comments from people that fail to wonder or do their own quick research.
Then again, this is the story of so many things right now. If you’ve read this far then maybe you and I are in the minority that actually read. I am unsure where we are heading… what we are thinking! Maybe it’s better that way but before I leave, I hope the next time you hear someone wonder why the gays have picked Gai Jatra, you can tell them.
Till next time.
From the archive:
It is good information
Nepal is a beautiful country