Being LGBT: Their Status and Rights in Bhutan

Abstract

The Bhutanese Penal Code criminalises ‘unnatural sex … or any other sexual conduct that is against the order of nature’. Lesbians, Gays, Bisexuals, Transpeople, and other sexuality and gender minorities, lack legal rights, and their social status is low. Homosexuality is still a taboo subject in conservatively pious Bhutanese society. Most LGBT people are not open, nor does the majority of the population, particularly in rural Bhutan, discuss LGBT issues openly. In urban areas, however, people discuss LGBT issues in private. In recent years, a number of LGBT people have been begun to speak publicly on state- and privately-owned local media and social media. This article draws upon qualitative interviews to describe the daily life and challenges of LGBT people in Bhutan under the existing Penal Code of Bhutan, and considers possible changes to the Bhutanese Penal Code.