BHUTAN: Same-sex relations decriminalised

On 10 December, Human Rights Day, Bhutan’s parliament passed a bill that amended sections 213 and 214 of the 2004 Criminal Code to scrap the provision that criminalised so-called ‘unnatural sex’, widely interpreted as referring to homosexuality. By a vote of 63 against 69, same-sex relations were decriminalised, pending the King’s formal approval.

This legislative act was claimed as a victory by LGBTQI+ organisations such as Rainbow Bhutan, which had been advocating for change for years, including in global forums such as the UN Human Rights Council.