Jennifer Lu’s (呂欣潔) first thought upon hearing the results of last month’s referendum on marriage equality was, “We can’t let [the LGBTQ] community lose hope.”
After intense campaigning on both sides, voters on Nov. 24 overwhelmingly rejected same-sex marriage.
Last week, Judicial Yuan Secretary-General Lu Tai-lang (呂太郎) said that any law following the passage of referendums on marriage equality could not contradict last year’s constitutional interpretation by the Grand Council of Justices, which requires regulations protecting marriage equality to be introduced by next May.
Photo Courtesy of The Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan
Nonetheless, the referendum process and results have already taken a toll on the LGBTQ community. There are reports of increased bullying in schools, rifts between family members and friends and even cases of self-harm and suicide, as reported by Lu, coordinator of the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, and Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女).
“Many votes were likely cast out of a lack of understanding of the issue, and not out of anti-LGBTQ sentiment. It doesn’t mean that there are that many people out there who hate you,” Lu told the Taipei Times, but the referendum has revealed societal conflict and the fracturing of values.
STAYING POSITIVE
Photo: CNA
Lu says that in the past, many people were simply ignorant or ambivalent about marriage equality. With the attention generated by the referendums, voters were not able to ignore the issue anymore. They had to consider how they felt about it, even if they ended up abstaining from the vote.
“This is the first time LGBTQ issues have been discussed on such a large scale in Taiwanese society,” Lu says.
Despite all the excitement following the landmark constitutional interpretation last May, Lu and other LGBTQ activists were not surprised by the referendum results.
Photo: CNA
In early November, they noticed that polls, which were split down the middle just a few months ago, were starting to skew in favor of anti-marriage equality groups like the Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance.
Lu attributes the change in public opinion to the aggressive airing by these groups of disinformation commercials, noting that they appeared almost every hour all day in November.
Lu says that there were probably many undecided voters manipulated by false information and fear of the effects that same-sex marriage and LGBTQ-related topics in gender equity education would have on their children.
Photo: Fang Ping-chao, Taipei Times
“Think about who gets most of their information from television these days. It’s the more traditional, often older demographic,” she says.
Jay Lin (林志杰), CEO of Portico Media and founder of LGBTQ movie platform GagaOOLala, agrees that ignorance led to the results.
“It’s not, in my opinion, ingrained, institutionalized hatred,” Lin says. Instead, people are worried about the impact that same-sex marriage will have on Taiwanese society, as they have had little exposure to it.
Photo: Fang Ping-chao, Taipei Times
Achieving equality takes time, as evidenced by other human rights movements around the world. When it comes to marriage equality, Taiwan is still the most progressive country in Asia, on track to become the first to legalize same-sex marriage. The conversation now is not whether same-sex marriage will be legalized, but what form the laws legalizing same-sex marriage will take.
Many young people had high expectations and were hurt by the referendum results, Lin says, adding that he saw firsthand the movement to pass Proposition 8 striking down same-sex marriage in California.
“But it’s no longer a topic that people are afraid to talk about. Many people came out of the closet during this process to show people around them that this affects them too. I believe that the more understanding there is, our supporters will only increase,” Lin says.
Carol Lan (藍挹丰), board member of the Taiwan Counseling Psychologist Union, tells her clients that instead of lashing out or despairing, they must learn to accept and be proud of themselves. Many parents do not want their children to be homosexual because they usually have a harder time in society, and the best way to change their minds is to show them that this is not necessarily true.
“You might not have any problems, but when society and your parents keep telling you that you do, then the referendum results happen — it is a huge blow. But unless you really have the energy, you don’t have to argue with everybody. If you live well, are happy, have a stable relationship, then you’re proving the doubters wrong,” Lan says.
Lan adds that the same can apply to heterosexual LGBTQ allies. Instead of trying to argue with naysayers, who may not be receptive, they can support their LGBTQ friends and family and help to uplift them instead.
TURNING POINT FOR ACTION
Next to monitoring and advising legislators during the passage of the same-sex marriage bill and ensuring that it is constitutional, Lu and Lin say that the most important component is education, whether by the activists or the government.
Lan says it is unfortunate that the referendum questions about gender equity education and marriage equality were tied together, as people tend to vote the same way when the issues are linked. It was a lack of education that led to the rejection of marriage equality, Lu says, and she hopes that the government will take more responsibility in creating an inclusive society.
Lu hopes to work with more educators to support gender equity education, which is about respecting all genders and sexual orientations. For example, it is important to think about what can be done now to prevent bullying in schools due to the referendum results.
Lu also says that there should be more discussion of how much control a parent can exercise over what their child learns, and whether this is in the child’s best interests.
To this end, the Marriage Equality Coalition plans to open small chapters around Taiwan so that they can engage locals on a more frequent basis.
In the long run, Lu hopes to bring more LGBTQ allies — including celebrities and respected public figures — into the struggle for marriage equality.
On his part, Lin plans to mail copies of Queer Taiwan, an original mini-documentary series that he produced, to elected officials, so that they are aware of the information available if they wish to learn more about LGBTQ issues and discuss it with their constituents.
“I don’t think we should ever give up on elected officials,” Lin says, adding that “maybe they had a certain agenda or platform because they thought that was what they needed to get elected. We need to keep lobbying, and it’s going to be a long-term dialogue. We’re not going to flip anyone’s minds overnight.”
There are also practical arguments to be made. Lin says that there should be an emphasis on the economic benefits that Taiwan can enjoy as an LGBTQ-friendly country in Asia, such as tourism and attracting overseas talent.
He also says that LGBTQ activist groups need to ramp up their fundraising efforts, as it was clear that the opposition groups had much more resources to spread their information.
Lu adds that more representatives from the LGBTQ community getting involved in politics would help.
“Before, it was a marginalized issue, but now it’s politicized. This is a turning point, and we’re definitely moving toward a more political direction,” Lu says.
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