The Democratic Progressive Party’s (DPP) push for the recognition of marriage between homosexual and lesbian couples by dint of amending the Civic Code (民法) was blasted by religious groups, female organizations and teachers yesterday for “taking the lead in corrupting Taiwanese social conduct” and letting other matters of state, such as the edible food oil adulteration, slide.
DPP Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) held a public hearing at the Legislative Yuan yesterday morning on same-sex marriages and the legal processes for same-sex families to adopt children, drawing a crowd from the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan to the doors of the Legislative Yuan in protest.
Other protestors flooded the DPP’s party central headquarters with phone calls, saying the party was endorsing legislation that “allowed our husbands to legally marry another” and “promoted homosexual and lesbian views.”
Photo: Liao Chen-huei, Taipei Times
Senior party aides said most of the callers were female.
The alliance yesterday called for “regular” families to be maintained at a gathering outside the Legislative Yuan, maintaining that same-sex marriage is not a human right and that sexual liberation should not be allowed in schools.
The alliance further queries who or what give Yu: “The right to deprive another group of their rights to marriage,” adding that for Yu’s bid to do so was causing legal education in Taiwan to regress.
The alliance said that though Yu’s Facebook page states that supporters of the movement do not intend to change the marriage system, the motion to amend Article 972 of the Civic Code, to change the legal recognition of marriage from the union of a man and a woman was in fact doing just that.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Justice said that while same-sex marriage rights should be protected, legal amendments needed take into consideration social development and the view of the public on such matters.
“We hope the Legislative Yuan considers a progressive amendment to the laws,” the ministry said.
Deputy Minister of Justice Chen Ming-tang (陳明堂) said that marriage is a systematic guarantee of protection of rights under constitutional law, adding that nowhere in the Civic Code is there discrimination or restraints against same-sex couples marrying.
The ministry is in favor of the right to marry of same-sex couples being protected, but the draft amendments submitted by legislators to change “man and woman,” “husband and wife” and “father and mother” to more gender-neutral terms of “spouse” and “parents” would impact too many regulations and practices, Chen said.
Chen advocated amendments to strengthen the rights of same-sex couples in adoption and consensual agreement rights in medical care and taxation issues, adding that the government needs to come up with other supporting measures to aid implementation in such areas.
Additional reporting by CNA
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