With music, self-made signs and creative costumes, an estimated more than 30,000 people from across Taiwan and several other countries yesterday marched through the streets of Taipei during the annual Taiwan Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Pride parade, being held for the ninth consecutive year, calling for an end to discrimination against sexual minorities.
Tens of thousands of people poured onto Ketagalan Boulevard, the departure and ending point of the parade hours before 2pm, when the parade was scheduled to depart.
Participants carried balloons and self-made placards with slogans supporting gay rights and opposing discrimination, and many also dressed in special costumes to show their support for diversity.
Photo: George Tsorng, Taipei Times
Although the atmosphere was festive, the objective of the parade was serious.
“We are standing here together — whether you belong to the LGBT community or not — to fight back against discrimination against the LGBT community in this country,” one of the organizers of the parade, nicknamed A-Cheng (阿正), told the crowd. “Discrimination against LGBT people may seem to have decreased, but in fact, it’s still there, it just changed its form and was ‘upgraded.’”
He said that 10 years ago, LGBT communities were confronted directly by people who called them all sorts of names, but “nowadays, people would tell you: ‘I don’t have any problems with gays, but ...’ What comes after the ‘but’ could be: ‘I don’t think gays should be able to legally get married,’ ‘students should not be taught about homosexuality at school,’ or something else that’s still discriminatory in nature.”
J.J. Lai (賴正哲), co-founder of the first Taiwan LGBT Parade in 2003, said the situation may have improved a little, but discrimination from the general public and politicians still exists.
“Nine years ago, we departed from the 228 Peace Park with only a few hundred people. Today, we’re on Ketagalan Boulevard with more than 30,000 people,” Lai said.
“Nine years ago, there was only one Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade in Taipei, but this year parades are taking place in Taipei, Taichung, Kaohsiung and Hualien,” he added. “We can’t deny there have been changes. However, we should not overlook the threats posed by homophobic people and organizations.”
Lai accused President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) of having broken his campaign pledges four years ago that he would promote LGBT rights in his policies.
“Four years have passed and he’s running for his second term, but we’re still not getting what he promised — it’s all bullshit,” he said.
While Democratic Progressive Party presidential candidate Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) promised to legalize civil unions, Lai said he was disappointed that Tsai said such a policy should be implemented only “when there’s consensus in society.”
“If there’s social consensus, why would we need you, politicians, to push for it?” Lai said. “We don’t care whether Ma is gay or Tsai is a lesbian, we want actual policies benefiting the LGBT communities.”
Part of the parade marched through neighborhoods around National Taiwan Normal University, where many conservative families live, hoping that the residents would acquire a better understanding of LGBT communities through more contact, organizers said.
After the parade, demonstrators rallied on Ketagalan Boulevard and stepped on the ground 100 times, a gesture meant to represent that gay rights have gone nowhere, despite the efforts.
MAKING WAVES: China’s maritime militia could become a nontraditional threat in war, clogging up shipping lanes to prevent US or Japanese intervention, a report said About 1,900 Chinese ships flying flags of convenience and fishing vessels that participated in China’s military exercises around Taiwan last month and in January last year have been listed for monitoring, Coast Guard Administration (CGA) Deputy Director-General Hsieh Ching-chin (謝慶欽) said yesterday. Following amendments to the Commercial Port Act (商港法) and the Law of Ships (船舶法) last month, the CGA can designate possible berthing areas or deny ports of call for vessels suspected of loitering around areas where undersea cables can be accessed, Oceans Affairs Council Minister Kuan Bi-ling (管碧玲) said. The list of suspected ships, originally 300, had risen to about
DAREDEVIL: Honnold said it had always been a dream of his to climb Taipei 101, while a Netflix producer said the skyscraper was ‘a real icon of this country’ US climber Alex Honnold yesterday took on Taiwan’s tallest building, becoming the first person to scale Taipei 101 without a rope, harness or safety net. Hundreds of spectators gathered at the base of the 101-story skyscraper to watch Honnold, 40, embark on his daredevil feat, which was also broadcast live on Netflix. Dressed in a red T-shirt and yellow custom-made climbing shoes, Honnold swiftly moved up the southeast face of the glass and steel building. At one point, he stepped onto a platform midway up to wave down at fans and onlookers who were taking photos. People watching from inside
Japan’s strategic alliance with the US would collapse if Tokyo were to turn away from a conflict in Taiwan, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said yesterday, but distanced herself from previous comments that suggested a possible military response in such an event. Takaichi expressed her latest views on a nationally broadcast TV program late on Monday, where an opposition party leader criticized her for igniting tensions with China with the earlier remarks. Ties between Japan and China have sunk to the worst level in years after Takaichi said in November that a hypothetical Chinese attack on Taiwan could bring about a Japanese
STREAMLINED: The dedicated funding would allow the US to transfer equipment to Taiwan when needed and order upgraded replacements for stockpiles, a source said The US House of Representatives on Thursday passed a defense appropriations bill totaling US$838.7 billion, of which US$1 billion is to be allocated to reinforcing security cooperation with Taiwan and US$150 million to replace defense articles provided to the nation. These are part of the Consolidated Appropriation Act, which the US House yesterday passed with 341 votes in favor and 88 against. The act must be passed by the US Senate before Friday next week to avoid another government shutdown. The US House Committee on Appropriations on Monday unveiled the act, saying that it allocates US$1 billion for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative
RSS