Members of sexual and gender minority communities organised the Nepal Pride Parade in Kathmandu on Saturday, joining Pride Month celebrations observed around the world every June.

The parade began from Shanti Batika and proceeded to Tundikhel, with participants carrying rainbow flags and banners advocating equality, inclusion and recognition of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities.

Pride Month is observed globally to celebrate the visibility and rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual and gender minority communities. The annual observance traces its origins to the Stonewall uprising in New York in June 1969, a landmark event in the modern LGBTQ+ rights movement.

Participants in Saturday’s march said the event was aimed at promoting dignity, acceptance and equal rights for sexual and gender minorities in Nepal.

Nepal has been regarded as one of South Asia’s more progressive countries on LGBTQ+ rights, with legal recognition of gender and sexual diversity. Activists, however, continue to call for stronger implementation of existing protections and greater social acceptance.

The parade concluded at Tundikhel with participants celebrating Pride Month and reaffirming demands for equality and inclusion.

Here are the photos of the events from the lens of Noah Epps: