American Olympian Greg Louganis in town to support LGBTI rights

American Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis arrived in Kathmandu on Wednesday for a six-day programme in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex (LGBTI) rights.

American Olympic gold medalist Greg Louganis

Louganis will serve as 'guest of honour' at the Blue Diamond Society’s LGBTI Sports Festival, the first event of its kind in South Asia.

He will also participate in the organisation’s human rights conference, meet with government officials and HIV/AIDS activists, and visit a local school.

Greg Louganis had won gold medals in springboard and platform diving at the 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games.

He has worked with the Human Rights Campaign to defend the civil liberties of the LGBTI community and people diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and also served as a mentor for the US diving team at the London 2012 Olympics.

The Blue Diamond Society’s LGBTI Sports Festival will be held from October 12-14 at Dasharath National Stadium and Jamal Nachghar National Theater.

In addition to sponsoring the visit of Greg Louganis, the US Embassy has provided support to the Blue Diamond Society for the Sports Festival and library resources for its Pink Himalayan Community Center, a regional resource center for LGBTI individuals expected to open this fall, according to the press statement issued by US Embassy. nepalnews.com