| LGBT rights in Tibet | |
|---|---|
TAR within the PR China and disputed Tibetan areas controlled by India |
|
| Same-sex sexual activity legal? | Legal (PRC since 1997) (ROI since 2009) |
| Gender identity/expression | – |
| Recognition of relationships |
No recognition of same-sex couples |
LGBT rights in Tibet are stagnant but homosexuality is not criminalized. The lands compromising the Tibetan Plateau are divided between the sovereignty of the People's Republic of China and the Republic of India. In both of these countries, homosexual sex was legalized since 1997 and 2009 respectively.
Unlike its neighbor and cultural sibling Bhutan, Tibet does not have a culture in which open expression of same-sex affection is common.[1].
There are no known Tibetan support groups, and Han Chinese living in Tibet usually use the underground Chinese support groups, which have little to no influence on the Tibetans due to the ethnic tension and separation between the two groups.
There are reports of a gay bar present in the capital Lhasa called Lanse Tian Kong (or "Blue Sky"), however, the bar is operated in secret, and supposedly, although many of the customers are native Tibetans, it is run by mostly Han [2].
According to a number of interviews by a reporter from a Singapore based Asian gay website,[2] Tibetan youth are mostly lax about homosexuality, but Tibetan culture does not allow for public displays of affection. However, as some argue, this is not specific as homophobia, rather, any public display of sexuality is generally frowned upon, partly due to Lamaistic Buddhism's glorification of celibacy.