He Married him, She Married her
Filed under News
9 March: Picture ourselves looking for a needle amidst a stack of hay and finding not one, but scores of them. We will be baffled.
And baffled we are, learning that there are several gays, lesbians and heterosexuals amidst us.
It is the diffusion of western life, which Globalization ferried to Bhutan. This is what most of us would say. Others would construe that homosexuals have always been a part of our communities, which is now raising its head. You can take either of the two, the truth remains unchanged; we have gays and lesbians in Bhutan.
And they are tired of trying to portray themselves as someone they are not. They are coming out slowly but steadily. They know that Rome was not built in a day. They also know that it did not take decades or a century.
How would we react if we found out that our sister is a lesbian? It will differ.
Some might erase her out of their family tree. Some may laugh and pull her leg all the time, while some will accommodate her.
We do not know how Bhutan and Bhutanese will take this. However, from what some of them say, we get a rough picture of a tough life. The privileged and educated lot, who know that gay culture is not considered “unusual” and that several role models and celebrities are homosexuals are the very ones who shun them most. Hypocrisy at its heights! Manifested by those who swear on Elton John and his melodies but would throw tomatoes if it is a Bhutanese in John’s shoes. They are fine with lesbians in Paris but not in Thimphu.
Balloons blast when the pressure or air inside exceed the balloon’s elasticity. Similarly, we can look away or put our feet on those we consider “unusual”. But not for long!
This is already happening as manifested by the scores of gays and lesbians who were fighting to make their point to the media. The media, they say is the only one whom they trust and believe will enable them to live like the homosexuals in Europe and other parts of the developed world. The pen they say is mightier than the sword.
We do not know if the government is aware of this ever growing population. They should be. And if they are, they should clearly express and inform people the Government’s stand on homosexuality. The one provision we have in the Penal Code is vague; confusing not just the masses but even the lawmakers.
We are a democracy, where people elect the government of their choice by voting. And in most democracies, governments have accepted gay marriages. Political as well as social factors direct the path the government takes. We are yet to see what the Druk Phuensum Tshogpa (DPT) does or whether anything would be done at all.
In the last few days, banners advocating women’s rights have been telling us that all of us are human beings first. And yesterday was a day dedicated to all women; the 99th International Women’s Day (IWD).
Homosexuals are also human beings. When would we see similar banners asking and requesting for gay rights? Or will we ever see it? We do not know.
What we know is that gay culture is spreading and growing.
What we know is that there are people, our own fellow citizens, waiting for the day when they will see banners calling for gay rights all over Bhutan.
source: Bhutan Today
