Amidst the pandemic, the US Embassy in Nepal is planning a virtual event today to commemorate and celebrate the Gai Jatra Pride Parade.

Organised annually since 2002, the Gai Jatra Pride Parade witnesses thousands of queer people and allies marching through the streets of the capital as well as several other major cities of the country.

For this year, the US Embassy in Nepal is organising a virtual event from 6 pm onwards which will be broadcast live on the US Embassy’s Facebook page. The event will highlight the significance of the festival, the achievements and accomplishments of the queer community, and what it means to celebrate Gai Jatra during uncertain times of a pandemic. The theme for this year’s celebration is ‘Virtual Gai Jatra Pride Event: Celebration, Resilience, and Determination of the LGBTQI+ Community’.

Popular folk singer Prakash Saput will perform live, while US Ambassador to Nepal Randy Berry will join writer/author Niranjan Kunwar, and queer activist and winner of Miss Pink Nepal 2018, Angel Lama to discuss the issues related to the queer rights movement in Nepal.