Twelve years after he started the gay rights movement in the conservative Himalayan kingdom of Nepal, Sunil Babu Pant, the nation’s only openly gay member of parliament, relinquished charge of the non-profit Blue Diamond Society he had founded under the guise of spreading public awareness about HIV and AIDS.

The 41-year-old computer engineer, recipient of the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission’s Felippa de Souza Award for bravery in spearheading the LGBT movement at a time homosexuality was taboo in Nepal, stepped down partly to groom other leaders.

However, it was also due to a persistent campaign against him that saw government officials frequently refuse to renew BDS’ license, putting its existence in jeopardy.

“BDS and the LGBT movement must not suffer because of me,” an emotional Pant said on his last working day as executive director on 31 July. “(My detractors) won’t (give up) until I leave. So it’s a mixture of reasons, but it’s a good time to leave and with BDS in better hands now.”

Sudeep Bahadur Singh, a Nepalese anthropologist, succeeds Pant as the new head of BDS.

Pant began banding persecuted LGBT members in a public park in Kathmandu since landlords refused to rent out apartments to them. He would explain at the clandestine gatherings sometimes raided by police, what alternate sexuality meant, the rights LGBTS should have all other citizens, and the threat of HIV due to unprotected sex and lack of awareness.

“LGBT issues were taboo then,” Pant said. “They faced discrimination and violence. Now the community is getting visible all over Nepal.”

Among BDS’ achievements, he counts getting third gender citizenship IDs from the state, persuading political parties to field LGBT members as candidates in elections, and winning greater family acceptance of LGBT children.

A big boost came in 2007 when the Supreme Court of Nepal ruled that LGBTs were natural persons and directed the government to make laws to protect their rights. The court also approved same-sex marriage.

“But the biggest achievement is that LGBTs no longer think they are less than anybody else,” Pant said. “Our self-esteem is high and we are proud of who we are. We believe people should be judged on the basis of one’s conduct, not on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity.”

After Nepal became a republic, a left-wing party nominated Pant to parliament and he became the only openly gay MP.

A consummate showman, he brought color to the movement with gay pageants and prides. Activists rode on elephant back during the marches.

He also hosted a lesbian wedding in full pomp at a temple for an American couple and opened the country’s first pink travel agency that offers gay weddings at the base of Mt Everest, the highest peak in the world.

Pant said the movement, despite its success, still faces a tough challenge from persistent bureaucratic scrutiny.

“The movement needs to progress and we need fresh minds, new ideas, new skills, and hence new leadership,” he said, explaining his voluntary exit.

However, he said he would continue to support BDS from outside while studying and practicing Buddhism.