Gay rights activists yesterday gathered at 228 Peace Park and called for the abolition of Article 235 of the Criminal Law (
Wang Ping (
Wang said that homosexual rights are heavily restricted and gays are often described as "obscene" and "perverts."
PHOTO: CHENG HSUEH-YUNG, TAIPEI TIMES
J.J. Lai (
Lai has also appealed to the Council of Grand Justices on the constitutionality of Article 235, which bans the sale, circulation and public display of obscene publications.
Unfazed by the failed appeals, Lai said: "This is a chance for gay rights activists to challenge the law and see that changes are made."
An alliance of gay and gender rights groups has also been formed to challenge the article.
The terms "indecent" and "obscene" should be clearly defined, because judges were allowed too much discretion to decide what constitutes obscenity, Lai said.
Academics in the alliance also discovered that Article 235 dates back to 1922, he said.
Lai said that it was high time for the article to be abolished.
"Sexual rights should not be under the control of the government. They cannot regulate what you can or cannot read, or whether what you read is `obscene' or not," Lai said.
The alliance plans to launch an "Abolish Article 235" movement on June 27 to mark the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in 1969.
The Stonewall riots were a series of violent conflicts between homosexuals and police officers in New York City. The first night of rioting began on June 27, 1969, when police raided the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in Greenwich Village.
The incident is generally considered a turning point for the modern gay rights movement worldwide since it marked the first time that a significant number of homosexuals resisted arrest and fought back.
Nipah virus infection is to be officially listed as a category 5 notifiable infectious disease in Taiwan in March, while clinical treatment guidelines are being formulated, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. With Nipah infections being reported in other countries and considering its relatively high fatality rate, the centers on Jan. 16 announced that it would be listed as a notifiable infectious disease to bolster the nation’s systematic early warning system and increase public awareness, the CDC said. Bangladesh reported four fatal cases last year in separate districts, with three linked to raw date palm sap consumption, CDC Epidemic Intelligence
Two Taiwanese prosecutors were questioned by Chinese security personnel at their hotel during a trip to China’s Henan Province this month, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. The officers had personal information on the prosecutors, including “when they were assigned to their posts, their work locations and job titles,” MAC Deputy Minister and spokesman Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. On top of asking about their agencies and positions, the officers also questioned the prosecutors about the Cross-Strait Joint Crime-Fighting and Judicial Mutual Assistance Agreement, a pact that serves as the framework for Taiwan-China cooperation on combating crime and providing judicial assistance, Liang
The manufacture of the remaining 28 M1A2T Abrams tanks Taiwan purchased from the US has recently been completed, and they are expected to be delivered within the next one to two months, a source said yesterday. The Ministry of National Defense is arranging cargo ships to transport the tanks to Taiwan as soon as possible, said the source, who is familiar with the matter. The estimated arrival time ranges from late this month to early next month, the source said. The 28 Abrams tanks make up the third and final batch of a total of 108 tanks, valued at about NT$40.5 billion
Reports of Taiwanese going missing, being detained or interrogated, or having their personal liberties restricted in China increased about fourfold annually last year, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said yesterday. Last year, 221 Taiwanese who traveled to China were reported missing, were detained and interrogated, or otherwise had their personal freedom restricted, up from 55 the previous year, the council said. Reopening group tours to China would be risky, as it would leave travelers with no way to seek help through official channels after Beijing shut down dialogue between the associations tasked with handling cross-strait tourism, the MAC said. Taipei’s Taiwan Strait Tourism
RSS