Activists yesterday recommended a list of Taipei City and County legislative candidates sympathetic to homosexuals.
"Legislation ensuring homosexual rights must be passed," said Wang Ping (
"A hypocritical society might ask gays to stand up and fight whenever their rights are violated but won't support them once they do. Most homosexuals are forced to remain invisible, whatever happens to them, out of fear of discrimination after exposing their sexual orientation," she said.
PHOTO: CHEN CHENG-CHANG, TAIPEI TIMES
The activists' campaign only involved Taipei City and County legislative candidates, but one candidate from Hsinchu has also been recommended. A shortage of activists prevented a nationwide campaign.
Activists produced the list of 10 lawmaker candidates after reviewing the previous attitudes and conduct of 35 candidates who signed an agreement to support legislation for gay rights.
The agreement, sent to 138 candidates, requested future legislators to request government aid to promote homosexual rights and to work for an "anti-discrimination act" and a "partnership registration act," which would grant homosexual couples the same legal rights enjoyed by couples who are in a heterosexual marriage, including inheritance and adoption rights.
"With the candidates' positive response, we feel optimistic about future progress in the legislature," Wang said.
The recommended candidates represent various parties, but most are independent.
Webster Chen (
He said he wants to show that gays are just like everyone else and deserve fair treatment."Without respect for gays, people won't really give equal treatment to us even with legislation," he said.
"Society should pursue a reconciliation with homosexuals. They don't hurt anyone," said another recommended candidate, legislator Shih Ming-teh (施明德), who attended the first gay wedding in Taiwan, and Asia, in 1996.
"I hope one day the mothers of homosexuals in Taiwan will be able to proudly admit that their children are gay, just as I saw in the New York gay parade," said independent candidate Sisy Chen (
Chu, although she represents Hsinchu, was recommended because of her strong advocacy of gay rights.
However, activists noted that only one of the 10 is a Taipei County candidate.
In fact, only 13 of the 69 seeking a legislative seat representing Taipei County signed the agreement.
"Efforts to introduce the idea of homosexual rights to residents outside the capital of Taipei should be strengthened," said Gofyy (喀飛, a pseudonym), standing committee member of the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline (同志諮詢熱線). "Many candidates in Taipei County don't have a clue about homosexuality."
Chu Wei-cheng, an activist and assistant professor at National Taiwan University, said that the poor response from Taipei County candidates possibly reflected the overall attitude of rural residents.
"They may fear that they will lose support by taking a pro-gay stance."
NEXT GENERATION: The four plants in the Central Taiwan Science Park, designated Fab 25, would consist of four 1.4-nanometer wafer manufacturing plants, TSMC said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) plans to begin construction of four new plants later this year, with the aim to officially launch production of 2-nanometer semiconductor wafers by late 2028, Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau director-general Hsu Maw-shin (許茂新) said. Hsu made the announcement at an event on Friday evening celebrating the Central Taiwan Science Park’s 22nd anniversary. The second phase of the park’s expansion would commence with the initial construction of water detention ponds and other structures aimed at soil and water conservation, Hsu said. TSMC has officially leased the land, with the Central Taiwan Science Park having handed over the
The Philippines is working behind the scenes to enhance its defensive cooperation with Taiwan, the Washington Post said in a report published on Monday. “It would be hiding from the obvious to say that Taiwan’s security will not affect us,” Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilbert Teodoro Jr told the paper in an interview on Thursday last week. Although there has been no formal change to the Philippines’ diplomatic stance on recognizing Taiwan, Manila is increasingly concerned about Chinese encroachment in the South China Sea, the report said. The number of Chinese vessels in the seas around the Philippines, as well as Chinese
AUKUS: The Australian Ambassador to the US said his country is working with the Pentagon and he is confident that submarine issues will be resolved Australian Ambassador to the US Kevin Rudd on Friday said that if Taiwan were to fall to China’s occupation, it would unleash China’s military capacities and capabilities more broadly. He also said his country is working with the Pentagon on the US Department of Defense’s review of the AUKUS submarine project and is confident that all issues raised will be resolved. Rudd, who served as Australian prime minister from 2007 to 2010 and for three months in 2013, made the remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado and stressed the longstanding US-Australia alliance and his close relationship with the US Undersecretary
‘WORLD WAR III’: Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene said the aid would inflame tensions, but her amendment was rejected 421 votes against six The US House of Representatives on Friday passed the Department of Defense Appropriations Act for fiscal 2026, which includes US$500 million for Taiwan. The bill, which totals US$831.5 billion in discretionary spending, passed in a 221-209 vote. According to the bill, the funds for Taiwan would be administered by the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency and would remain available through Sept. 30, 2027, for the Taiwan Security Cooperation Initiative. The legislation authorizes the US Secretary of Defense, with the agreement of the US Secretary of State, to use the funds to assist Taiwan in procuring defense articles and services, and military training. Republican Representative