How has the landscape of recognition for LGBT rights in Bhutan changed over the last decade?

Things have changed in Bhutan in the last few years as many educated people have started learning the acronym and comprehending the identities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender) under the LGBT umbrella. Some people have become open minded enough to understand that it is a human rights issue to criminalise being queer.

Decriminalisation is followed by a slow progress and LGBT rights is not necessarily a cause that the government or the country is keen to champion. That does not mean they are against the community or their rights. Many Bhutanese, including people in the government, have started acknowledging the community. Voices from the community are sought in consultation for policies and inclusion.

What, according to you, have been some of the biggest achievements and milestones so far?

I would like to mention two things in particular – the amendment of Section 213 and 214 of the penal code of Bhutan, which earlier criminalized homosexuality, and the increased visibility of queer people in the media. The support that the community receives as goodwill and empathy from everyday people has massively increased over the years. We may see the National Gender Equality Policy (NGEP) soon to be endorsed by the parliament include the community in their inclusive action points.

Tell us about the groups and collectives at the forefront of advocacy. How have they offered support to LGBTQ community members and built relationships with allies?

Queer Voices of Bhutan and Pride Bhutan are the two main organisations in Bhutan advocating for the community. Some of ministries and civil society organization have also made LGBTQ advocacy a part of their mandate. Others such as the United Nations bodies and international NGOs are also working to promote inclusion in the country.

A lot of Bhutanese youth go to the United States, Australia, India, Malaysia, Thailand and other countries for their college and university education. To what extent does this exposure influence their vision for LGBT rights in Bhutan?

Traveling has a big impact on people’s perceptions and this is also true for many Bhutanese who cite witnessing more acceptance and visibility of queer people while they travel outside Bhutan. Some Bhutanese also claim to have seen their first person from the LGBT community outside Bhutan. However, that was the case before queer folks here started appearing in the media and living more openly. As countries like Thailand and Nepal are embracing the legalization of same sex marriages, it is interesting to see if any spillover of the policy or social change in the country will take place in Bhutan.

Do legal developments in India on issues like decriminalization of homosexuality and the demand for recognition of same-sex marriage have an impact in Bhutan?

When such historic changes hit home, we are likely to witness and take stock. This may also increase the demand for such rights and constitutional changes in our country too. Hopefully, the spillover would be everywhere in Asia.

Based on your interactions with activists working for LGBTQ rights in other countries, what are the key similarities and differences between how queer activism takes place in Bhutan and the West?

The modern queer movement in the west took place earlier than in our part of the world. It was certainly not easy for them to raise their voice for the change we see today. This has led to a lot of positive changes and liberation for the community everywhere. Here, in Bhutan, LGBT activism has taken a more silent yet transformative approach. Raising our voice does not mean creating chaos in the form of public demonstrations and yet it was possible to bring progress in the form of decriminalization and advocating for recognition and inclusion. For instance, we do not have pride parades because the struggle for our liberation does not need to be a public demonstration and protest. Rather, it is through being part of open dialogues with policy makers and also through community engagement.

In many South Asian countries, activists are told that they are acting on behalf of a Western agenda and their ideas are not compatible with their own society’s traditions. How does this make you feel? How do you and other Bhutanese people working for LGBTQ rights address this kind of criticism?

Any kind of modern liberation movement in our part of world is considered to be linked to a Western agenda. People who say such things do not realize that Western societies have also struggled with rigid mindsets. For instance, queer and feminist movements in the West received criticism and harsh pushbacks at least during the earlier days. Perhaps we can never escape this rhetoric of the queer movement being influenced by the West.

In Bhutan, we do a fair share of advocating against this concept and then leave it to just let people change their mindset on their own. And as we advocate further about the real issues, often people’s attention is diverted to the actual matters that need to be looked into. Using storytelling and other ways of advocacy, we hope people will realize that change is imminent and necessary. However, it is sometimes hard to explain to a few people.

Does your advocacy work primarily happen in English, or in Dzongkha, or both?

As a writer and journalist, my advocacy has been primarily in English. Since its initial development days, Bhutan has done something unique in South Asia — making the education system available in English. Hence, many of us are comfortable with the language and the communication has been easy and convenient. However, reaching people with limited proficiency in English can get challenging while advocating for the LGBT community.

How important is it to evolve a vocabulary outside of English to find wider acceptance for LGBT rights in Bhutan, especially in non-urban areas?

Using the existing vocabulary is challenging as some words are often perceived by people as derogatory or as slurs. For now, we stick to what we have and try to translate the message in the best manner that we can.

How does your commitment to LGBT rights inform your work for Humans of Thimphu, the digital storytelling that you co-founded?

At Humans of Thimphu, I was part of the writing team initially and moved on to an editorial role as I became a senior. My commitment to the LGBT community meant that I spearheaded initiatives that centered on queer advocacy and storytelling. Humans of Thimphu became a platform that told authentic stories of the community, often going an extra mile. However, as a storyteller, I feel that I am capable of telling stories of people beyond just my own community. I am passionate about women’s issues and children’s rights.

After the decriminalization of homosexuality in Bhutan, what are the other challenges that remain?

Some of the challenges are ensuring systemic inclusion of transgender people, reducing social stigma and discrimination, increased protection of the LGBT community, keeping the vulnerable groups of our community in school, and eliminating unemployment.

Chintan Girish Modi is a Mumbai-based journalist who writes about books, art and culture. He can be reached @chintanwriting on Instagram and X.