Nepal Courts Gay Tourism Market

Interested in a wedding on the world's tallest peak? The tiny Himalayan nation of Nepal hopes to capitalize on gay-friendly laws and natural advantages like its location near Mount Everest to attract tourists that bring billions of dollars to the economy.

The tourism pitch represents rapid change for Nepal, a poor, conservative Hindu nation destabilized by fighting until recently, according to the Associated Press.

"That quest -- brushing aside historical biases in pursuit of economic opportunity -- is symbolic of one of the gay rights movement's most stunning successes," reports the AP.

"Nepal has an openly gay parliamentarian, it is issuing 'third gender' identity cards and it appears set to enshrine gay rights -- and possibly even same-sex marriage -- in a new constitution."

Sunil Pant, a member of parliament and Nepal's most prominent gay activist, is the founder of a new tourism outfit, the Pink Mountain tour company.