[caption id="attachment_3917" align="alignleft" width="976"] Surendra Pandey and Maya Gurung prepare to register their marriage at the Dordi rural municipality office[/caption] After a protracted legal battle between the couple and activists, Nepal has registered its first same-sex marriage. Authorities in western Lumjung district officially registered the marriage of Maya Gurung (36) and Surendra Pandey (26) on Wednesday. This was five months after the Supreme Court issued an injunction allowing same-sex couples to register their marriages. Taiwan is the only place in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage. Mr. Gurung and Mr. Pandey have been together for nearly 10 years. The two married in a temple ceremony in 2017 and had since applied for legal recognition of their marriage. According to official documents, Gurung is a transgender woman who has not changed her gender. Mr. Pandey also identifies as male by birth. On July 13, a local court in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, refused to register a marriage despite the Supreme Court ordering the government to do so until a law reform law is prepared. The district court had argued that the lower courts were not required to follow the order because it was directed only to the government. But on Wednesday, Hem Raj Kafle, chief administrative officer of the Dordi rural municipality, told Reuters: "We have issued the marriage registration certificate to the couple in consideration of the Supreme Court order and instructions from relevant government authorities." Leading LGBT rights activist Sunil Babu Pant called the "historic" moment a victory for sexual and gender minorities. The couple told the BBC in July that once their marriage is recognised, they want to open a joint bank account and share ownership of the land they bought. But their biggest dream is to adopt a child, once their finances are more stable.