Mount Everest Is the New 'Brokeback'

Nepal—a country that that considered homosexuality a crime until 2007—now hopes to turn Mount Everest into gay wedding destination. The plan is part of a country-wide push to double the number of visitors in 2011. A typical itinerary might include sky-high nuptials and an elephant safari honeymoon, tourist officials say. "All the sexual and gender minorities from around the world," are welcome.

"There are plenty of gays and lesbians who want adventurous, sporty, outdoors kind of tourism,” an openly gay Nepalese MP tells the Times. “In other Asian countries which offer this, they are either not welcome or considered criminals. Nepal's about-face on gay rights shows the dramatic changes sweeping the country since an uprising forced the king to renounce power in 2006.
(More Nepal stories.)