Lawmakers in Bhutan on Thursday voted to amend portions of the country’s Penal Code that have been used to criminalize consensual same-sex sexual relations.
An OutRight Action International press release says Articles 213 and 214 of the Bhutanese Penal Code “were widely interpreted as prohibiting same-sex relations.” The global LGBTQ advocacy group notes 63 out of 69 members of the Bhutanese Parliament voted for an amendment that states “homosexuality between adults shall not be considered unnatural sex.” The amendment will become law once King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck signs it. “The adopted amendment not only decriminalizes same-sex relations, but by specifically mentioning homosexuality also acknowledges the existence of LGBTIQ