Lesbian,

gay ''Gay'' is a term that primarily refers to a homosexual person or the trait of being homosexual. The term originally meant 'carefree', 'cheerful', or 'bright and showy'. While scant usage referring to male homosexuality dates to the late 1 ...

, bisexual, and

transgender A transgender (often abbreviated as trans) person is someone whose gender identity or gender expression does not correspond with their sex assigned at birth. Many transgender people experience dysphoria, which they seek to alleviate through ...

(

LGBT ' is an initialism that stands for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender. In use since the 1990s, the initialism, as well as some of its common variants, functions as an umbrella term for sexuality and gender identity. The LGBT term ...

) people in the

Tibet Tibet (; ''Böd''; ) is a region in East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are some other ethnic groups such as Monpa, Taman ...

encounter specific legal and social challenges not faced by non-LGBT residents. The

Tibetan Plateau The Tibetan Plateau (, also known as the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau or the Qing–Zang Plateau () or as the Himalayan Plateau in India, is a vast elevated plateau located at the intersection of Central, South and East Asia covering most of the ...

, spanning areas under the sovereignty of both the

People's Republic of China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

and the Republic of India, has variations in the legal treatment of LGBT individuals between these nations. Since 1997 in China and 2018 in India, all forms of same-sex sexual activities were legalised. However, in both nations, same-sex couples lack the rights to marry or adopt children, and there is no provision for common law marriages,

same-sex marriage Same-sex marriage, also known as gay marriage, is the marriage of two people of the same sex or gender. marriage between same-sex couples is legally performed and recognized in 33 countries, with the most recent being Mexico, constituting ...

, civil unions, or issue partnership certificates.. (use the "attachments" column to view the PDF) In India, same-sex couples have limited rights to

cohabitation Cohabitation is an arrangement where people who are not married, usually couples, live together. They are often involved in a romantic or sexually intimate relationship on a long-term or permanent basis. Such arrangements have become increas ...

. In China, no explicit legal protections against discrimination for LGBT individuals, nor does it have hate crime laws that encompass sexual orientation or gender identity. Within the Tibetan cultural context, no specific Tibetan support groups for LGBT individuals are reported. However,

Han Chinese The Han Chinese () or Han people (), are an East Asian ethnic group native to China. They constitute the world's largest ethnic group, making up about 18% of the global population and consisting of various subgroups speaking distinctiv ...

residents in Tibet have established community structures, such as LGBT-friendly bars. Interviews conducted by a Singapore-based Asian gay website state that Tibetan youth generally exhibit a relaxed attitude towards

homosexuality Homosexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior between members of the same sex or gender. As a sexual orientation, homosexuality is "an enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, and/or sexual attractions" to pe ...

. The

cultural norm Social norms are shared standards of acceptable behavior by groups. Social norms can both be informal understandings that govern the behavior of members of a society, as well as be codified into rules and laws. Social normative influences or soci ...

in Tibet discourages ''any'' public displays of affection, a stance influenced partly by

Buddhism Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...

's glorification on celibacy, rather than a direct manifestation of homophobia. The historical account of

Ernst Schäfer Ernst Schäfer (14 March 1910 – 21 July 1992) was a German explorer, hunter and zoologist in the 1930s, specializing in ornithology. His zoological explorations in Tibet served as a cover for his role in the German secret service. He was also ...

’s 1938–39 German expedition to Tibet notes the presence of homosexual relationships, particularly between older lamas and younger boys, highlighting the role of homosexuality in the region's socio-political fabric. There are pages of careful observation of Himalayan people engaged in a variety of intimate acts.

Tenzin Mariko Tenzin Mariko (born 1997) is a Tibetan model and LGBTQ icon. She is the first openly transgender Tibetan in the public eye. Early life Born as Tenzin Ugen to Tsering Gonpo and Chime Yangzom, she was sent to the Samdrup Darjay Choling Monaste ...

, a former Buddhist monk from

Dharamshala Dharamshala (; also spelled Dharamsala) is the winter capital of Himachal Pradesh, India. It serves as administrative headquarters of the Kangra district after being relocated from Kangra, a city located away from Dharamshala, in 1855. The ...

, is recognized as the first openly

woman within the Tibetan community. She has actively engaged with Tibetan social organizations and has been received by religious leaders, marking a significant step towards visibility and acceptance of transgender individuals in Tibetan society.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lgbt Rights in Tibet Tibet Law of Tibet

Tibetan culture

See also

References