Pride Bhutan: "Celebrating Diversity"

𝗦𝗺𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗵𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀, 𝗗𝘂𝗺𝗯 𝗣𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲

A disturbing video of students assaulting another student recently spread across social media in Bhutan. Within hours, thousands had watched it. Hundreds shared it. Countless others forwarded it through messaging groups. Some content creators rushed to discuss it in live sessions. Others reposted it repeatedly to increase engagement.

The incident itself is troubling. What is perhaps even more troubling is what happened afterward.

We live in an age where our phones are smarter than ever. They can connect us to the world instantly, provide access to endless information, and allow us to communicate across continents in seconds. Yet, when faced with a serious incident involving children, many of us demonstrated a remarkable lack of judgment.

Before asking whether the victim was safe, people asked where they could find the full video. Before thinking about the long-term impact on the children involved, people focused on views, shares, reactions, and comments.

Before considering the consequences of spreading violent content involving minors, people rushed to become unpaid distributors of the footage.

Some individuals spent hours discussing the incident in live sessions, not to educate or advocate for solutions, but because they knew controversy attracts attention. Every comment, every reaction, and every viewer became a metric to chase.

We often criticize young people for their behavior online. Yet many adults responded no differently. The students in the video may have acted irresponsibly, but countless adults willingly amplified the harm by turning the incident into entertainment.

Sharing such videos rarely helps the victim. It rarely contributes to accountability. It rarely creates meaningful solutions. What it does accomplish is extending the humiliation of those involved and ensuring that a painful moment remains permanently available for public consumption.

The reality is simple. Every forward button clicked, every repost made, and every sensational discussion hosted increased the reach of the violence. People who claim to be concerned about bullying often became participants in a different form of it.

There is a difference between raising awareness and exploiting tragedy. Raising awareness focuses on the issue, the causes, and the solutions. Exploitation focuses on the footage, the drama, and the attention it generates.

Unfortunately, much of the online reaction fell into the second category.

We need to ask ourselves some uncomfortable questions. Why do we feel compelled to share disturbing content before verifying facts? Why do we believe every tragedy needs our commentary?Why have views and engagement become more important than empathy and responsibility?

Most importantly, what kind of society are we building when a child's suffering becomes a source of entertainment?

Technology is not the problem. Social media is not the problem. Smartphones are not the problem.

The problem is how we choose to use them.

A smart phone in the hands of a careless person does not create a smarter society. It simply allows poor judgment to travel faster.

Perhaps the lesson from this incident is not only about bullying in schools. Perhaps it is also about the growing tendency among adults to consume and distribute harmful content without considering the consequences.

The next time a video like this appears on our screens, we have a choice. We can contribute to the noise, the speculation, and the viral spread. Or we can choose responsibility over attention, empathy over entertainment, and wisdom over clicks.

Our phones have become smarter every year. The question is whether we have.



Save the Children Bhutan
National Commission for Women and Children - NCWC, Bhutan
The Bhutanese
Royal Bhutan Police
Nazhoen Lamtoen
Sherig Bhutan
Feminism in Bhutan
The PEMA
Bhutan Media Foundation
YUMRA

📢 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐠 𝐀𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐭: 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭

Being small does not mean being invisible. It does not mean accepting unequal treatment, being spoken over, or being expected to stay quiet.

In our latest blog, we reflect on the challenges that many small community organizations face when power imbalances are disguised as partnership. We share why setting boundaries, demanding respect, and protecting organizational integrity are necessary for sustainable and meaningful collaboration.

Read the full blog and join the conversation.

https://pridebhutan.blogspot.com/2026/06/small-but-not-silent.html

𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐋𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐃𝐁 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐃𝐁 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐄𝐱𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐁𝐡𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐧 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 "𝐏𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐕𝐮𝐥𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐬"

Pride Bhutan wishes to express its deep disappointment regarding recent developments concerning the Asian Development Bank-supported project, "Piloting Inclusive Services for Vulnerable Groups."

The project identifies LGBT+ individuals as one of its primary target groups and includes activities aimed at improving inclusion, visibility, awareness, and access to services for LGBT+ communities in Bhutan. Yet, despite being the country's leading community-based organization working directly with LGBT+ people, Pride Bhutan has been informed that it will not be engaged in the implementation of the project.

This decision is particularly disappointing given that meaningful participation of affected communities is widely recognized as a cornerstone of inclusive development. Community-led organizations bring lived experiences, trusted networks, and invaluable insights that help ensure interventions are responsive to the realities faced by the people they seek to serve.

We acknowledge and appreciate the efforts being made to improve services for vulnerable groups in Bhutan. However, we respectfully seek clarity on how the voices, experiences, and needs of LGBT+ communities will be meaningfully represented within a project that specifically identifies them as beneficiaries, while excluding the organization that has worked alongside these communities for years.

Our concern is not about institutional recognition. It is about ensuring that LGBT+ people are not merely included in project documents, but are genuinely represented in project implementation and decision-making processes.

Pride Bhutan remains committed to constructive dialogue and collaboration in advancing equality, dignity, and inclusion for all people in Bhutan.

We respectfully call upon the Asian Development Bank, the implementing agencies, and relevant stakeholders to provide clarity on this matter and to reaffirm their commitment to meaningful community participation.

Asian Development Bank
APCOM
Amnesty International
Prime Minister's Office - PMO, Bhutan
National Commission for Women and Children - NCWC, Bhutan
The Bhutanese


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Pride Bhutan: "Celebrating Diversity" A pioneering community-based organization in Bhutan championing community mobilization and empowerment in the health and socio-economic dimensions for people belonging to all SOGIESC.

Strengthening Community Voices Through Advocacy

As part of the SKPA Project, Save the Children brought together community representatives, programme staff, and partners in Paro for a five-day Community-Led Monitoring (CLM) Advocacy Training.

The training equipped participants from with practical skills to transform community-generated evidence into meaningful advocacy action. Through sessions on CLM data analysis, advocacy strategy development, stakeholder mapping, storytelling, and monitoring and evaluation, participants identified priority issues affecting children and developed action plans to address them.

By strengthening the capacity of communities to advocate for change, the SKPA Project is helping ensure that children’s voices and lived experiences inform policies, programmes, and decisions that help deliver equitable HIV and related health services.

Together, we are advancing accountability, participation, and lasting change for children and their communities.

Joining the nation in celebrating Her Majesty's Birthday and wishing Her Majesty happiness, good health, and a long life.


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🌈 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗟𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗕𝗵𝘂𝘁𝗮𝗻 ✨

We are excited to launch the official blog of Pride Bhutan, a space where we will share stories, reflections, community voices, advocacy journeys, health awareness, and conversations on equity, and diversity in Bhutan 🇧🇹

Through this blog, we hope to document our journey, celebrate progress, amplify lived experiences, and create meaningful conversations for and with the LGBTIQ+ community and allies 💜

📝 Our very first blog, “Five Years of Decriminalization in Bhutan,” reflects on a historic milestone for Bhutan and the continued journey toward inclusion, dignity, and equality.


Save the Children Bhutan
Lhak-Sam, Bhutan Network of People Living with HIV and AIDS BNP+
Health Equity Matters
Chithuen Phendhey Association
National Council of Bhutan
National Assembly of Bhutan
ViiV Healthcare
AmplifyChange

🔗 Read the first blog here:

Commemorating May 29, 2019: The Day Bhutan Chose Compassion and Empathy Picture source: https://thebhutanese.bt/national-assembly-takes-a-big-step-towards-decriminalizing-homosexuality/ On May 29, 2019, a histori...

𝐁𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭 𝟏𝟎𝟖.

Register here: www.gmc.bt/108

Join thousands of volunteers coming together to help complete 108 Jangchub Chortens in a single coordinated day in Gelephu Mindfulness City on 1 November 2026. From site preparation to the final coordinated build, Project 108 will require volunteers from all walks of life working together with shared purpose, discipline, and devotion.

No specialist skills are required. What matters most is willingness to contribute to this collective offering of peace, compassion, and spiritual practice.

Register your interest to volunteer, and the Project 108 team will get back to all interested volunteers with further details regarding participation, training, and confirmation of registration.

Register here: www.gmc.bt/108