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."
Taiwanese Olympic badminton men’s doubles gold medalist Wang Chi-lin (王齊麟) and his new partner, Chiu Hsiang-chieh (邱相榤), clinched the men’s doubles title at the Yonex Taipei Open yesterday, becoming the second Taiwanese team to win a title in the tournament. Ranked 19th in the world, the Taiwanese duo defeated Kang Min-hyuk and Ki Dong-ju of South Korea 21-18, 21-15 in a pulsating 43-minute final to clinch their first doubles title after teaming up last year. Wang, the men’s doubles gold medalist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics, partnered with Chiu in August last year after the retirement of his teammate Lee Yang
FALSE DOCUMENTS? Actor William Liao said he was ‘voluntarily cooperating’ with police after a suspect was accused of helping to produce false medical certificates Police yesterday questioned at least six entertainers amid allegations of evasion of compulsory military service, with Lee Chuan (李銓), a member of boy band Choc7 (超克7), and actor Daniel Chen (陳大天) among those summoned. The New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office in January launched an investigation into a group that was allegedly helping men dodge compulsory military service using falsified medical documents. Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) has been accused of being one of the group’s clients. As the investigation expanded, investigators at New Taipei City’s Yonghe Precinct said that other entertainers commissioned the group to obtain false documents. The main suspect, a man surnamed
US Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer began talks with high-ranking Chinese officials in Switzerland yesterday aiming to de-escalate a dispute that threatens to cut off trade between the world’s two biggest economies and damage the global economy. The US delegation has begun meetings in Geneva with a Chinese delegation led by Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng (何立峰), Xinhua News Agency said. Diplomats from both sides also confirmed that the talks have begun, but spoke anonymously and the exact location of the talks was not made public. Prospects for a major breakthrough appear dim, but there is
The number of births in Taiwan fell to an all-time monthly low last month, while the population declined for the 16th consecutive month, Ministry of the Interior data released on Friday showed. The number of newborns totaled 8,684, which is 704 births fewer than in March and the lowest monthly figure on record, the ministry said. That is equivalent to roughly one baby born every five minutes and an annual crude birthrate of 4.52 per 1,000 people, the ministry added. Meanwhile, 17,205 deaths were recorded, resulting in a natural population decrease of 8,521, the data showed. More people are also leaving Taiwan, with net
RSS