Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan removes sections of penal code that criminalise homosexuality
The Buddhist kingdom's Lower House removed the two sections this week
By Steve Brown
Words: Steve Brown
The Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan has removed sections of the penal code that criminalised homosexuality.
The Lower House of the Buddhist kingdom – which is on the eastern edge of the Himalayans – removed Section 213 and 214 which criminalised ‘unnatural sex’ or homosexuality.
Writing on Twitter, the Bhutanese – a newspaper in the kingdom – wrote: “Breaking: Section 213 and 214 of the Bhutan Penal Code criminalizing ‘unnatural sex’ or homosexuality has been removed by the National Assembly.”
Breaking: Section 213 and 214 of the Bhutan Penal Code criminalizing ‘unnatural sex’ or homosexuality has been removed by the National Assembly.
— The Bhutanese (@thebhutanese) June 7, 2019
Now, in order to become law, it must be passed through the Upper House but this is a positive move for the kingdom – which does not formally recognise same-sex couples.