Bhutan | A beauty queen offers visibility to the LGBT community

(Thimpu) Tashi Choden will not only be the very first contestant to represent Bhutan in the famous Miss Universe pageant, but she is also the only openly gay public figure in the Himalayan country.

Bhutan is certainly renowned for its concept of “Gross National Happiness”, which is supposed to promote the well-being of citizens rather than economic growth.

But until February 2021, homosexuality was considered by the penal code as “sexual behavior against the laws of nature” and therefore illegal in this Buddhist country.

The coronation in June of M^me Choden in Miss Bhutan was therefore a “big deal” for the country of nearly 800,000 inhabitants, and for its LGBT community.

“I don’t just speak for the Bhutanese community, but I also speak for the minority on a platform like the Miss Universe pageant,” she told AFP. “I can be their voice”.

The 23-year-old, who lost her parents nine years ago, says she came out last year on International Pride Day after “a lot of research and soul-searching”.

This announcement initially aroused “a very strong reaction” within his conservative and religious family, but M^me Choden feels it was important that those close to her were part of the coming out process.

“Above all, their acceptance matters to me,” she said. “After a while, they accepted it very well. And I’m very grateful for that, because a lot of people aren’t blessed with that acceptance.”

“As long as they know that I’m going to be successful in life, that I can manage on my own, that I can be an independent woman, I don’t think my sexuality really matters to them.”

Despite some backlash, her victory in the Miss Bhutan pageant appeared to garner the country’s support.

Prime Minister Lotay Tshering personally congratulated the young model and wished her success.

Open the way

Bhutan has always gone its own way, not staring at economic growth, but also focusing on the ecological conservation of its snow-capped peaks and valleys.

The country has a negative carbon balance and its constitution stipulates that the forest must cover 60% of the territory.

It stays away from the traditional global tourism model, levying a $200-a-day “sustainability tax” for the entry of foreign tourists – a fund used to offset their carbon footprint.

It took until 1999 for television to be allowed. The inhabitants maintain a passion for archery and it is not uncommon to see phalluses drawn on the houses to keep evil at bay.

In this atypical country, members of the LGBT community report many cases of discrimination and social stigma.

However, the decriminalization of homosexuality in 2021 has paved the way for greater openness, believes Rinzin Galley, a gender-fluid aesthetician.

“With the decriminalization […] I feel more comfortable than before in public,” he told AFP.

“I like to wear make-up and go out and it’s not normal for a boy to go out in make-up.”

Several transgender women have had their name and gender changed on their identity cards. And the LGBT community is gradually gaining visibility.

The presence of M.^me Choden at Miss Universe ignites hope among the nation’s queer youth.

“Seeing a homosexual woman become Miss Bhutan allows the rest of the homosexual community, particularly homosexual youth, to aim for more important goals in their lives,” Regita Gurung, a young bisexual woman, told AFP.

“This representation paved the way for the rest of us to be able to trust who we are in public spaces.”