Homosexuals will now be officially listed and protected under the Domestic Violence Prevention Law (
Two lawmakers cited the movie Brokeback Mountain in arguing for the change.
The existing law defines "domestic" as "husband and wife relations, spouses and ex-spouses, parents, family members, or blood and non-blood relatives."
Legislators from the Judiciary Committee questioned that definition, asking whether homosexuals were included in those categories and protected by the law.
Minister of the Interior Lee Yi-yang (
According to the Civic Law (
Taiwan Solidarity Union Legislator Kuo Lin-Yung (郭林勇) said that homosexuals had long been neglected in a society where heterosexual marriages were dominant.
Although gay marriages are not yet legal in the country, more attention should be paid to gay rights, Kuo said.
"They [homosexuals] have been derided, persecuted and constrained in the past, but now they have begun to speak out, allowing their problems to surface and be known," he said. "Therefore, they must now be equally protected by the law."
The amended law should explain clearly that homosexual couples are included under the category of "family members," so that social workers, police and other authorities would understand, Kuo added.
He said gay relationships were often more intense and gay individuals may easily become victims of domestic violence. Without protection from the law, many end up committing suicide because they have no way to seek help, he added.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Huang Sue-ying (黃淑英) added that the concept of "family" traditionally referred to heterosexual couples and that the decision made at the review session was a breakthrough for gay rights.
Huang said the new amendments should add that members of families could be composed of any sex.
Both Kuo and Huang said the award-winning movie Brokeback Mountain had positively influenced the public to be more aware of homosexual issues and problems.
The review session also made progress toward canceling a handling fee for protection orders. A NT$1000 (US$31) handling fee has posed a problem for many victims of abuse, who could not afford to apply for protection.
The military has spotted two Chinese warships operating in waters near Penghu County in the Taiwan Strait and sent its own naval and air forces to monitor the vessels, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said. Beijing sends warships and warplanes into the waters and skies around Taiwan on an almost daily basis, drawing condemnation from Taipei. While the ministry offers daily updates on the locations of Chinese military aircraft, it only rarely gives details of where Chinese warships are operating, generally only when it detects aircraft carriers, as happened last week. A Chinese destroyer and a frigate entered waters to the southwest
A magnitude 6.1 earthquake struck off the coast of Yilan County at 8:39pm tonight, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The epicenter was 38.7km east-northeast of Yilan County Hall at a focal depth of 98.3km, the CWA’s Seismological Center said. The quake’s maximum intensity, which gauges the actual physical effect of a seismic event, was a level 4 on Taiwan’s 7-tier intensity scale, the center said. That intensity level was recorded in Yilan County’s Nanao Township (南澳), Hsinchu County’s Guansi Township (關西), Nantou County’s Hehuanshan (合歡山) and Hualien County’s Yanliao (鹽寮). An intensity of 3 was
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
Taiwan Railways Corp (TRC) today announced that Shin Kong Mitsukoshi has been selected as the preferred bidder to operate the Taipei Railway Station shopping mall, replacing the current operator, Breeze Development Co Ltd. Among eight qualified firms that delivered presentations and were evaluated by a review committee, Shin Kong Mitsukoshi was ranked first, while Breeze was named the runner-up, the rail company said in a statement. Contract negotiations are to proceed in accordance with regulations, it said, adding that if negotiations with the top bidder fail, it could invite the second-ranked applicant to enter talks. Breeze in a statement today expressed doubts over
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