A coalition of LGBT rights groups yesterday urged Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Lai Shyh-bao (賴士葆) to withdraw his draft bill on same-sex families, which they said could undermine the legalization of same-sex marriage.
The bill is “homophobic” and “basically offers zero protection for same-sex families,” Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy vice president Tsai Shang-wen (蔡尚文) said at a rally outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei.
The group, along with the Awakening Foundation, Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association and other groups, gathered a proposal Lai has titled “The enforcement act of Referendum No. 12.”
Photo: Su Fun-her, Taipei Times
The bill, which was originally proposed by groups opposing same-sex marriage, said that two adults of the same sex can register as one family and share part of their assets through an agreement.
However, they would only inherit portions of their partner’s assets outside the legitime (legally mandated share for relatives) and a will would be needed if one spouse wishes to bequeath more than half of their assets outside the legitime to their partner.
If one spouse has children, the other could only be their guardian until they turn 18, the proposal says.
Conservative groups hope that the bill can replace “The enforcement act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748” proposed by the Cabinet last month, which would give same-sex couples similar rights to heterosexual couples.
The enforcement act of Referendum No. 12” has so far received support from more than 20 legislators and is to be reviewed at the Legislative Yuan today.
“We understand that some members of the public and legislators might be afraid of and want to exclude gay people because they do not understand them,” Tsai said. “However, same-sex couples are not seeking privileges — all they want is the same rights as others.”
Jovi, who is raising a daughter with a female partner, said that the inability to marry has led to great inconvenience and unnecessary pain for the couple.
When her daughter was hospitalized for a pseudomonas aeruginosa infection last year, her partner could not sign the surgery agreement because she was not the girl’s legal parent, she said.
“Everything the draft bill [“The enforcement act of Referendum No. 12”] says we have already done. It does not offer anything new. Why do we need it?” she asked.
The bill is “unfair, unjust and discriminating,” she added.
Lai said he would respect the legislators who have signed in support of the proposal would “follow the legislative procedures and let the Legislative Yuan vote on it.”
Additional reporting by CNA
UPGRADE: The Kang Ding-class frigate is replacing its Chaparall missiles with Tien Chien II and Hua Yang VLS, which would provide it with long-range, 360° air defense Taiwan plans to produce 1,200 to 1,376 Hai Chien II missiles (海劍二, Sea Sword II) — also known as TC-2N — to serve as the standard air defense system of the navy’s surface combatant fleet, a source said yesterday. Last week, the Hai Chien II, the naval version of the Tien Kung II missile (天劍二, Sky Sword II), completed a live-fire test in waters off the National Chungshan Institute of Science and Technology’s Jiupeng facility (九鵬) in Pingtung County’s Manjhou Township (滿州). The MIM72 Chaparral and other dated air defense missiles that currently arm Taiwanese ships have inadequate range to combat Chinese
REASONS FOR TRAVEL: An assistant professor said that proposed amendments to penalize drivers if they used drugs overseas would not deter people from traveling People who operate a motor vehicle under the influence of marijuana would have their driver’s license revoked, even if they used the substance while overseas, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications said yesterday, citing proposed amendments to the Road Traffic Management and Penalty Act (道路交通管理處罰條例). The amendments would also authorize the government to revoke the licenses of people determined to have used Category 1 or Category 2 narcotics, even if they were not operating a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, as well as ban them from taking the license test for three years, the ministry said. People aged 18 or
Johanne Liou (劉喬安), a Taiwanese woman who shot to unwanted fame during the Sunflower movement protests in 2014, returned to Taiwan last night after being deported from the US. She is to stand trial in Taiwan for charges involving embezzlement, fraud and drug crimes. The Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) said it took her into custody at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and would first question her before transferring her to the New Taipei District Prosecutors’ Office. She was arrested upon disembarking a flight from San Francisco that landed shortly before 7pm. Liou absconded to the US in 2019 after jumping bail
Shih Hsin University President Chen Ching-he (陳清河) yesterday issued a public apology for comments made in his commencement speech last week, stating that he has asked the school to suspend his duties and halt his wages for two months as a show of contrition. At the commencement ceremony on May 30, Chen said, “If you don’t manage your time well, or your own emotions, or your health, then I am telling every one of you — put a quick end to ‘you,’ because the world has no need for ‘you.’” The comments have sparked significant controversy online, and Chen through an open
RSS