In the midst of earthquake reconstruction and political violence in the country's south, Nepal's new constitution provides a reason for many citizens to celebrate — particularly its lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) community.
After more than seven years of deliberation, on September 20, Nepal's President Ram Baran Yadav promulgated the small Himalayan country's historic constitution. It stands as the first national constitution in Asia–and only the third in the world along with South Africa (1996) and Ecuador (1998)–to include explicit rights and protections for LGBTI people.