Amidst the physical restrictions due to the lockdown, like last year, Nepal Pride Parade 2021 is also being organised virtually.

Celebrated annually on the second Saturday of June, the pride parade is organised by Queer Youth Group—a youth-led queer organisation—in collaboration with Queer Rights Collective—an informal collective of queer folks—and Campaign for Change, an intersex rights organisation.

In 2019, the group had organised a physical event for the first time at Maitighar, making it the first-ever pride parade held in pride month in Nepal. Hundreds of people had participated in the event and the streets of the capital were filled with happy faces. For many of the queer people present at the event, it was one of the first events where they were able to celebrate their identities.

Due to the pandemic-induced restrictions, the organisers have planned virtual events throughout the day for this year’s celebration.

According to the organisers, the virtual event will screen queer-centric short movies and TikTok videos and will feature networking programs and a small virtual dance party.

“Although we could not gather on the streets, we will still continue the parade and amplify our voices and visibility through virtual means,” said the organisers.

Similarly, the organisers will also be using various hashtags like #NepalPrideParade and #NepalPride2021 and will regularly post on various social media platforms during the parade.