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Tashi Choden will not only be the first contestant to represent Bhutan at the Miss Universe competition - she is also the Himalayan country's only openly gay public figure.

The remote country is famed for its philosophy of 'Gross National Happiness', in which it prioritises citizens' well-being on par with economic growth.

Up until February 2021, gay sex was defined in the penal code as sexual conduct against the laws of nature, and branded illegal in the Buddhist country.

That makes Choden's crowning last month as Miss Bhutan 2022 a huge deal for the country of almost 800,000 people and its LGBTQ community.

The 23-year-old - who lost both her parents by the time she was 14 - said she came out last June, on International Pride Day.

While she received some negative reactions online after she was crowned and chosen to represent Bhutan in Miss Universe, her win appeared to garner support from inside the country and abroad.

While she received some negative reactions online after she was crowned and chosen to represent Bhutan in Miss Universe, her win appeared to garner support from inside the country and abroad.

Members of the LGBTQ community have reported instances of discrimination and social stigma, which keeps many in the closet.

The kingdom's decriminalisation of gay sex signalled growing acceptance. Several transgender women have had their names & gender changed on their citizenship identity cards.