Marriage equality opponents are planning a strategic legislative retreat and are preparing nationwide forums to fight for public support to oppose same-sex unions, campaigners said yesterday at a news conference.
They also called on Premier Lin Chuan (林全) to resign over his “pro-homosexual” policy focus.
“We can petition the Judicial Yuan and launch an administrative suit to voice problems with the Council of Grand Justices’ decision, but there is no way to overturn it, so we need to push for any changes to be packaged in a special law to reduce changes to the Civil Code,” said Andrew Chang (張守一), secretary-general of the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan, one of the most vocal groups opposing same-sex marriage.
The council’s decision in May found that a failure to provide legal guarantees for same-sex couples was unconstitutional, but stopped short of specifying whether a special law separate from the Civil Code would be sufficient to protect same-sex civil unions.
Chang criticized legislation drafted by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) last year in conjunction with prominent lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights groups for directly amending the Civil Code, slamming provisions that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation in adoption cases.
“Everyone is already equal under the law, with adoption decisions made by courts based on child-raising ability and conditions. Passing this kind of guarantee would give homosexuals special privilege,” he said, adding that no major protests are planned as campaigners await the promulgation of the Executive Yuan’s version of legalization legislation.
Chang appeared at a press conference with several Defend Family Student League activists, promising to “directly parry” the impact of the grand justices’ decision, which they termed illegitimate.
“The government has used the Judicial Yuan to tell the Legislative Yuan what its next move should be,” league convener Shih Chun-yu (施俊宇) said, promising to organize “hundreds” of forums to educate the public and make opposition “bud across the nation.”
Currently only two forums — in Taipei and Kaohsiung — have been confirmed, he said, adding that the league only has an active membership of between 20 and 30 students.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
WEATHER Typhoon forming: CWA A tropical depression is expected to form into a typhoon as early as today, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, adding that the storm’s path remains uncertain. Before the weekend, it would move toward the Philippines, the agency said. Some time around Monday next week, it might reach a turning point, either veering north toward waters east of Taiwan or continuing westward across the Philippines, the CWA said. Meanwhile, the eye of Typhoon Kalmaegi was 1,310km south-southeast of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan’s southernmost point, as of 2am yesterday, it said. The storm is forecast to move through central
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