In a beautifully made film, Lex Limbu has  come out as gay – saying, “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

“lexlimbu: On Life, Family and Identity”, a short documentary about the celebrated blogger, was screened at Anatomy Lecture Theatre, King’s College London in the UK on Friday, February 23rd. The 17-minute film has now been released online.

The film opens with a scene in Bardia National Park – as Lex is heard narrating, “When I told my parents, um, that I am gay; I was not afraid. I had kept this secret with me for long.”

“I knew for sure that it was not just a phase, and it was not something that I chose to be. Otherwise, why would I choose to put myself, or at least my family, in a position where they will have to go through some difficulty in the beginning? I don’t think anybody would choose, um, if they wished to. But now that I am gay, and I am confident about that, I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The film by Kailash Gurung of Shutter Corp. Films takes us to Bardia National Park, Shuklaphanta National Park and Club Himalaya in Nagarkot – with Lex telling his story. “There is a point in life where you have to put yourself first and when I told my parents; that is when I put myself first. You know, they cried; and they cried from different angles – from one side, the dream of having a daughter in law, carrying forward the name of the family was shattered. Then there was another side – having the thought that the son so close to them kept it with him for so long, how difficult it must have been for him made them cry even more.”

“I never felt it was necessary to come out. It was not necessary to tell everyone who I am and who I like. And it’s down to everyone to make that decision, who they choose to tell, and how comfortable you are. But I thought I have a platform; and when I thought more about it; it’s not just my story, it’s also my responsibility. I thought may be I could bring some positive changes to other people’s lives by telling my story. That’s also the reason I chose to make this video.”

The 25-year-old blogger based in the UK is a big name in Nepali blogosphere. Having started blogging at age 15, he has been constantly writing about various topics related to Nepal and diaspora since over a decade on his lexlimbu.com portal.

The film gets emotional when Lex’s mother is seen recounting the moment when he told them about his sexuality. She says she wished he told them earlier, and promises to be with him through thick and thin. She also urges the parents to love their children for who they are. The two get emotional and hug each other – with their eyes filled with tears.

The neatly shot and edited film has an amazing background score by Kobid Bazra and Riken Maharjan. It ends with Lex saying, “I hope that me sharing my story will be an example to so many other people, to not just young people, but also to family members, parents, relatives in recognizing that there are different people, there are different individuals out there, with their own choices and we need to move ahead to see this not as a difference, but to see it as normal. And that we’re all one, and we’re all equal.”

More power to you, Lex!