LifestyleRelationships Nepal’s ‘first gay wedding’ ceremony held by: – June 20, 2011 Share 36 Views no discussions Share Share
Tweet Sharing is caring! The couple said they were happy to contribute to the campaign for gay rights in NepalA lawyer and a college professor – both from the US – have celebrated what they say is Nepal’s first public lesbian wedding ceremony.The nuptials were performed on Monday near the capital, Kathmandu.Same-sex marriages are not legal in Nepal, but the country is drafting laws to guarantee sexual rights.Courtney Mitchell, 41, and Sarah Welton, 48, from Denver, Colorado, celebrated in a Hindu Nepalese tradition at the Dakshinkali temple.Local gay rights activists and supporters attended the ceremony – carried out by a Hindu priest – as did close friends and member of parliament Sunilbabu Pant, a gay rights activist.He told the Associated Press news agency that it was the first public wedding ceremony of a lesbian couple in the mostly conservative nation.‘Dream come true’Correspondents say same-sex marriages are not officially legal in Nepal, even though the supreme court has ordered the government to legally guarantee sexual rights and end discrimination.The laws are still being drafted, but political differences have delayed their passage into law.Mr Pant said while Monday’s wedding did not hold any legal status, “it was a huge achievement for gay rights campaign in Nepal”.Mr Pant’s Blue Diamond Society has been fighting for gay rights for several years, and recently opened a travel agency hoping to attract foreign gay couples to come to Nepal for weddings and honeymoons.The couple said they were happy to be married in Nepal and to contribute to the campaign for gay rights in the country.“It was my dream wedding come true. This is a fabulous ceremony,” Ms Welton said.Ms Mitchell said that it was because of progress over the gay rights issue since 2003 that she had decided to come to Nepal to get married.“We are very excited about all this progress… and I really wanted to show my support for Nepal,” she said.The couple met at a birthday party five years ago have adopted a 9-month-old girl.BBC News
Nepal’s ‘first gay wedding’ ceremony held
September 26, 2020
A MOTORIST who rolled a car at high speed and then fled the scene leaving SEVEN passengers behind has been given a suspended prison sentence.O’DonnellEmlyn O’Donnell pleaded guilty to a litany of offences relating to the horrific incident which happened at 5am on St Stephen’s Day 2011. O’Donnell had originally been charged with stealing the Renault car which crashed into the Dry Arch Roundabout in Letterkenny.However the theft charge was withdrawn after his girlfriend Heather McClean withdrew the complaint.Inspector Michael Harrison told Letterkenny District Court that passengers at the scene initially denied being in the car.One woman had to be cut from the car by fire crews.“Witnesses later said that Mr O’Donnell was driving so fast that the car shook,” said Inspector Harrison.“They were shouting at O’Donnell to slow down but he ignored their pleas.”The car then “rolled over several times” before landing on its side.When the emergency services arrived at the scene O’Donnell had fled on foot.He later presented himself to Gardai in Letterkenny and admitted he was the driver of the car.“It was an absolute miracle that no-one was killed and no-one was seriously injured,” said Inspector Harrison.Judge Paul Kelly described O’Donnell as “appalling”.He jailed O’Donnell for six months for dangerous driving, suspending the sentence for two years.He added a second consecutive three month sentence for leaving the scene of the crash, also suspending that sentence for two years.O’Donnell was fined €350 for no insurance, was banned from driving for two years and ordered to take part in a driver behaviour course.Judge Kelly warned O’Donnell that he wouldn’t walk free from court again if he appeared before him.Earlier O’Donnell had contested two other charges against him.He had been accused of assault and robbery of a youth in Letterkenny.John Paul Morrison identified O’Donnell in court as being the man who attacked him in Letterkenny in September 2012.“He came out of nowhere and started choking me with a dog chain and then he started whipping me,” said Mr Morrison.“He threatened to stab me and my friend with a Stanley knife.”However other witnesses in the case didn’t appear in court and Judge Kelly said he wasn’t satisfied on the evidence that O’Donnell, who had denied the charges, had carried out the attack.SUSPENDED JAIL SENTENCE FOR DRIVER WHO FLED CAR AFTER SMASH was last modified: September 11th, 2013 by John2Share this:Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to share on Skype (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window) Tags:car crashEmlyn O’Donnellletterkenny