Election candidates should do more than speak up for gay rights so that they can secure votes from members of the gay, bisexual and transgender communities, representatives from these communities said yesterday.
"Taiwan's society has become more aware of gay rights, and many election candidates want to woo votes from this group. However, they have to back their words with action rather than just offering lip service," said the president of the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association, who goes by the alias Gofyy.
The US-based Kinsey Institute estimates that 10 percent of the human population is gay, bisexual or transgender, he said, adding that this made such communities a focus group politicians cannot afford to ignore.
More often than not, however, Gofyy said, politicians and candidates say they support gay rights, but fail to come up with substantial opinions and policies.
"Gay, bisexual and transgender communities welcome any support, but they are not fools. They know very well who are for real and who are not. Candidates cannot expect to win votes by simply participating in gay pride parades and offering vocal support," he said.
Gay, bisexual and transgender communities in Taiwan have been establishing "observation groups" in past elections to examine candidates' opinions and positions on gay rights, Gofyy said.
"Some candidates who have shown support for gay, bisexual and transgender groups during their campaigns never did anything after being elected. Some did push for new legislation or amendments, but in the end they were stuck in the Legislative Yuan because of opposition from conservative legislators," he said.
The legislative elections are scheduled to be held at the end of the year, and the presidential election is set for next March.
An annual gay, bisexual and transgender parade has been scheduled for next Saturday in downtown Taipei to showcase the "rainbow power" of these communities, whose members are often discriminated against, parade organizers said yesterday.
The parade, which is entering its fifth year and is expected to draw over 10,000 participants, will make its way down Zhongxiao E Road and end in the square behind Taipei City Hall, where a stage will be set up for music performances, said Wang Ping (
The goal of the parade is to promote equality, diversity, respect and an end to discrimination against gay, bisexual and transgender people, and it can also be seen as a platform for discussion with other citizens, Wang said.
From a humble beginning of only 1,000 participants in the inaugural 2003 parade to more than 10,000 participants last year, the parade has established itself as the biggest of its kind in Asia, Gofyy said.
"It's true that the movement in Taiwan still has a long way to go, but at the same time we are very proud to say that it plays a leading example compared to other Asian countries, such as Japan and Thailand," he said.
To boost the visibility of the event, popular local singer A-Mei (
The Ministry of Education (MOE) is to launch a new program to encourage international students to stay in Taiwan and explore job opportunities here after graduation, Deputy Minister of Education Yeh Ping-cheng (葉丙成) said on Friday. The government would provide full scholarships for international students to further their studies for two years in Taiwan, so those who want to pursue a master’s degree can consider applying for the program, he said. The fields included are science, technology, engineering, mathematics, semiconductors and finance, Yeh added. The program, called “Intense 2+2,” would also assist international students who completed the two years of further studies in
The brilliant blue waters, thick foliage and bucolic atmosphere on this seemingly idyllic archipelago deep in the Pacific Ocean belie the key role it now plays in a titanic geopolitical struggle. Palau is again on the front line as China, and the US and its allies prepare their forces in an intensifying contest for control over the Asia-Pacific region. The democratic nation of just 17,000 people hosts US-controlled airstrips and soon-to-be-completed radar installations that the US military describes as “critical” to monitoring vast swathes of water and airspace. It is also a key piece of the second island chain, a string of
Former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) departed for Europe on Friday night, with planned stops in Lithuania and Denmark. Tsai arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport on Friday night, but did not speak to reporters before departing. Tsai wrote on social media later that the purpose of the trip was to reaffirm the commitment of Taiwanese to working with democratic allies to promote regional security and stability, upholding freedom and democracy, and defending their homeland. She also expressed hope that through joint efforts, Taiwan and Europe would continue to be partners building up economic resilience on the global stage. The former president was to first
Taiwan will now have four additional national holidays after the Legislative Yuan passed an amendment today, which also made Labor Day a national holiday for all sectors. The Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) and Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) used their majority in the Legislative Yuan to pass the amendment to the Act on Implementing Memorial Days and State Holidays (紀念日及節日實施辦法), which the parties jointly proposed, in its third and final reading today. The legislature passed the bill to amend the act, which is currently enforced administratively, raising it to the legal level. The new legislation recognizes Confucius’ birthday on Sept. 28, the
RSS