Kathmandu: At a time when Maoist affiliated women's rights activists have been opposing beauty contests in the country, a gays beauty pageant was held in Western Nepal's tourist hub Pokhara.
The All Nepal Women's Organisation (Revolutionary) in Nepal had, earlier, launched a campaign against beauty contests forcing the Indian joint venture Dabur Vatika to withdraw its sponsorship from the proposed Miss Nepal 2008 contest, which is now in limbo.
But the group did not oppose when Federation of Sexual and Gender Minorities (FSGM) organised the "Miss Beauty and Brain Pageant" in a jam-packed city hall of Pokhara.
Blue Diamond Society, the group that works for the cause of sexual minorities, said that participants on the occasion presented their shows in various ethnic dresses without any obstacle.
Kathmandu's Sandya Lama, 19,grabbed the title leaving behind 14 other contestants selected from gays and lesbian communities and later announced unhesitant that "her responsibility to work for the upliftment of gays has increased."
She will also become the goodwill ambassador for campaign against HIV/ADS.
Earlier, the Maoists opposed beauty contests on grounds that it would serve as a tool to promote the business of multinational companies while also exposing girls for the sake of advertisement of products.
A board member of the Hidden Treasure, the main organizer of the event, objected Dabur's sponsorship of the show on the ground that it has Indian connection, the company chose to withdraw, though it had spent over NRs 1 million in publicity.
However, Dabur Nepal is only one of the 13 sponsors of the event.
