Social Democratic Party member Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) yesterday called on people to join a signature drive for a proposed referendum on marriage equality to be included in the nine-in-one elections on Nov. 24, saying it needs about 130,000 signatures to pass the second-stage threshold.
The group collected the signatures it has in a month without any help from political parties, Miao told a news conference in Taipei.
The group is to establish 50 stations nationwide over the weekend in a final push to gather signatures, Miao said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The Legislative Yuan is still debating whether homosexual marriages should be included in an amendment to the Civil Code, or if special legislation is required, Miao said, adding that special legislation poses a great threat to the movement.
A referendum for gender equality education also might not pass, Miao said, adding that “it would take us back 30 years to education material that is discriminatory against the LGBT community.”
Internet celebrity Liu Yu (劉宇) said no one wanted to protest.
“Let us conclude this matter this year. Let us marry in peace, and we will stay at home and off the streets,” he said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) called for people to sign and support the movement if they support the idea that people should be able to form a family with whoever they love.
Veteran gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei (祁家威) also called on the public to sign and support both referendums, adding that he believes gender equality should be taught in kindergarten.
The inspection equipment and data transmission system for new robotic dogs that Taipei is planning to use for sidewalk patrols were developed by a Taiwanese company, the city’s New Construction Office said today, dismissing concerns that the China-made robots could pose a security risk. The city is bringing in smart robotic dogs to help with sidewalk inspections, Taipei Deputy Mayor Lee Ssu-chuan (李四川) said on Facebook. Equipped with a panoramic surveillance system, the robots would be able to automatically flag problems and easily navigate narrow sidewalks, making inspections faster and more accurate, Lee said. By collecting more accurate data, they would help Taipei
TAKING STOCK: The USMC is rebuilding a once-abandoned airfield in Palau to support large-scale ground operations as China’s missile range grows, Naval News reported The US Marine Corps (USMC) is considering new sites for stockpiling equipment in the West Pacific to harden military supply chains and enhance mobility across the Indo-Pacific region, US-based Naval News reported on Saturday. The proposed sites in Palau — one of Taiwan’s diplomatic allies — and Australia would enable a “rapid standup of stored equipment within a year” of the program’s approval, the report said, citing documents published by the USMC last month. In Palau, the service is rebuilding a formerly abandoned World War II-era airfield and establishing ancillary structures to support large-scale ground operations “as China’s missile range and magazine
A 72-year-old man in Kaohsiung was sentenced to 40 days in jail after he was found having sex with a 67-year-old woman under a slide in a public park on Sunday afternoon. At 3pm on Sunday, a mother surnamed Liang (梁) was with her child at a neighborhood park when they found the man, surnamed Tsai (蔡), and woman, surnamed Huang (黃), underneath the slide. Liang took her child away from the scene, took photographs of the two and called the police, who arrived and arrested the couple. During questioning, Tsai told police that he had met Huang that day and offered to
A British man was arrested for attempting to smuggle 14.37kg of marijuana into Taiwan through Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, Taipei Customs said late yesterday. The man, who arrived from Bangkok at 9pm on Friday, was asked by customs officers to open his luggage during a random inspection, Taipei Customs said in a news release. The passenger, whose identity was not disclosed, refused to open his suitcase and tried to flee the restricted area. He was eventually subdued by three customs officials and an Aviation Police Bureau officer. A later search of his checked luggage uncovered 14.37kg of marijuana buds. The case was handed over
RSS