Valentine's Day celebrations took an unusual twist in Taipei yesterday, with a "Virtual Lesbian Wedding" at 228 Memorial Park -- featuring independent vice-presidential candidate Chu Hui-liang (朱惠良) and Sisy Chen (陳文茜), director of the Rising People Foundation (新興民族基金會) as the two "brides."
Independent presidential hopeful Hsu Hsin-liang (
The ceremony was part of a "gay Valentine's day celebration" organized by gay rights groups, in which the Hsu-Chu ticket took part to show their endorsement and commitment to gay and lesbian rights. It was a public relations gesture on the candidates' part.
"This `virtual wedding' is an important political announcement," Chu said. "That is, we believe everyone should have equal rights, regardless of whether they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or heterosexual." Chu was dressed in a suit for the mock wedding.
"Only hypocritical politicians dare not touch on the issue of gay and lesbian rights," said Sisy Chen, who wore a wedding veil. Chen, also a spokesperson for the Hsu-Chu camp, criticized politicians who had did not attend Taiwan's first openly gay wedding four years ago in Taipei, when two men `tied the knot.'
DPP presidential candidate Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁), then Taipei mayor, had originally been scheduled to attend, but cancelled at the last moment, citing illness.
Conducting the wedding yesterday, Hsu wished all people, regardless of their sexual orientation, a "fearless" future. He also promised to set up co-habitation and anti-discrimination laws to guarantee civil rights for gay people if he is elected in March.
The Hsu-Chu ticket is the only camp to openly include gay rights in their campaign policies and discuss the issue in public, according to the Taiwan Gay and Lesbian Association (台灣同志協會).
The Ministry of Interior recently rejected the group's application for government registration, saying the group encourages homosexuality.
"We want people to know that we comprise 10 percent of the nation's population, and we definitely have voting power," said Wang Ping of the Taiwan Gender Sexuality Rights Association.
The government is aiming to recruit 1,096 foreign English teachers and teaching assistants this year, the Ministry of Education said yesterday. The foreign teachers would work closely with elementary and junior-high instructors to create and teach courses, ministry official Tsai Yi-ching (蔡宜靜) said. Together, they would create an immersive language environment, helping to motivate students while enhancing the skills of local teachers, she said. The ministry has since 2021 been recruiting foreign teachers through the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, which offers placement, salary, housing and other benefits to eligible foreign teachers. Two centers serving northern and southern Taiwan assist in recruiting and training
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‘CARRIER KILLERS’: The Tuo Chiang-class corvettes’ stealth capability means they have a radar cross-section as small as the size of a fishing boat, an analyst said President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) yesterday presided over a ceremony at Yilan County’s Suao Harbor (蘇澳港), where the navy took delivery of two indigenous Tuo Chiang-class corvettes. The corvettes, An Chiang (安江) and Wan Chiang (萬江), along with the introduction of the coast guard’s third and fourth 4,000-tonne cutters earlier this month, are a testament to Taiwan’s shipbuilding capability and signify the nation’s resolve to defend democracy and freedom, Tsai said. The vessels are also the last two of six Tuo Chiang-class corvettes ordered from Lungteh Shipbuilding Co (龍德造船) by the navy, Tsai said. The first Tuo Chiang-class vessel delivered was Ta Chiang (塔江)