Gender rights advocacy groups yesterday condemned former Democratic Progressive Party chairman Lin I-hsiung (林義雄) over his comments that there should be special legislation for same-sex marriages, so that people do not confuse them with “traditional” marriages.
Speaking about same-sex marriage in his new book, Lin said that “Although we do not understand why people of the same sex would fall in love and develop a desire for each other, we should respect it as something private between the two people.”
He added that he believes same-sex marriage and child adoption by same-sex couples should not be banned, but it would be better if there were separate legislation for the “new type of union” so that it would not be confused with the traditional version.
Photo: CNA
“Traditionally, ‘marriage’ is defined as a union between a man and woman, but we believe that everyone — regardless of sexual orientation — should enjoy equal rights. That is why we are pushing for amending the Civil Code to allow same-sex marriage,” Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership secretary-general Chien Chih-chieh (簡至潔) told a news conference in Taipei yesterday.
“Since equality in the right to be married is the central idea of the campaign, we would not accept separate legislation, because such legislation would still be discrimination and putting a label on same-sex couples,” she said.
Chien said that in many nations, such as Canada and New Zealand, same-sex marriage has been legalized by revising the definition of marriage from “the union between a man and woman” to “the union between two people” in laws.
“If other countries can do it, so can we,” Chien said.
“You may think people could be separate but equal, but segregation is not equality at all,” she added.
The alliance’s executive director Victoria Hsu (許秀雯) said that having a separate law for same-sex marriages would only deepen discrimination and would not help enhance social harmony and diversity.
“Equality is not putting differences aside, but recognizing and embracing them,” she said.
Gay rights activist Shen Ying-chun (沈盈君) said that she was disappointed by Lin’s remarks.
“As a lesbian, I feel disappointed to see your [Lin’s] remarks,” Shen said. “As a respected democracy activist, do you really think it is a democratic value to put people into two different categories?”
Shih Ming-te Cultural Foundation executive board director Chen Chia-chun (陳嘉君) said that activists are worried about the impact of Lin’s remarks, as he is a respected figure in society.
“When Lin calls same-sex marriage a ‘new type of union,’ I want to correct him because homosexuality is not a new creation. It has long existed in human history, and has been recorded in ancient texts and carved onto stone plates in ancient Egypt, Greece and China,” Chen said.
The Sports Administration yesterday demanded an apology from the national table tennis association for barring 17-year-old Yeh Yi-tian (葉伊恬) from competing in the upcoming World Table Tennis (WTT) United States Smash tournament in Las Vegas this July. The sports agency said in a statement that the Chinese Taipei Table Tennis Association (CTTTA) must explain to the public why it withdrew Yeh from the WTT tournament in Las Vegas. The sports agency said it contacted the association to express its disapproval of the decision-making process after receiving a complaint from Yeh’s coach, Chuang
Taipei has once again made it to the top 100 in Oxford Economics’ Global Cities Index 2025 report, moving up five places from last year to 60. The annual index, which was published last month, evaluated 1,000 of the most populated metropolises based on five indices — economics, human capital, quality of life, environment and governance. New York maintained its top spot this year, placing first in the economics index thanks to the strength of its vibrant financial industry and economic stability. Taipei ranked 263rd in economics, 44th in human capital, 15th in quality of life, 284th for environment and 75th in governance,
The Hualien Branch of the High Court today sentenced the main suspect in the 2021 fatal derailment of the Taroko Express to 12 years and six months in jail in the second trial of the suspect for his role in Taiwan’s deadliest train crash. Lee Yi-hsiang (李義祥), the driver of a crane truck that fell onto the tracks and which the the Taiwan Railways Administration's (TRA) train crashed into in an accident that killed 49 people and injured 200, was sentenced to seven years and 10 months in the first trial by the Hualien District Court in 2022. Hoa Van Hao, a
Control Yuan Secretary-General Lee Chun-yi (李俊俋) tendered his resignation last night, admitting that he had misused a government vehicle, as reported by media. His resignation was immediately accepted by the Control Yuan. In a statement explaining why he had resigned, Lee apologized for using a Control Yuan vehicle to transport his dog to a pet grooming salon on May 20. The issue first came to light late last month, when TVBS News reported that Lee had instructed his driver to take the dog to the salon. The news channel broadcast photos that it said were taken by an unnamed whistle-blower, which purportedly showed the
RSS