This year’s Gay Pride Parade on Oct. 26 is to be bigger than ever to celebrate Taiwan becoming the first nation in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, the Taiwan Tongzhi Hotline Association said on Thursday.
The association said it plans to hold multiple events throughout October, which is Taiwan’s LGBT Pride Month.
“The results we enjoy today are not just due to the efforts of the LGBT community and rights supporters, but also because there are many straight friends who are willing to support us,” the association said.
The nation’s LGBT community has seen a historic amount of people willing to “come out” since referendums were held on the topic in November last year, it said.
Online and in person, people persuaded their friends and family to vote for referendums No. 12 and 14, it said.
Referendum No. 12 asked: “Do you agree that the right to persons of the same sex to create a permanent union should be guaranteed by an institution other than marriage as defined by the Civil Code?” while No. 14 asked: “Do you agree that the right to marriage of persons of the same sex should be protected by legislation under the chapter on marriage of the Civil Code?”
Since same-sex marriage was legislated, many couples have accepted interviews and have been drawing attention to the LGBT community, the association said.
It called on all supporters of LGBT rights to attend pride events and allow Taiwanese to understand more about the community, which is why this year’s pride has the theme “Together, Make Taiwan Better.”
“We hoped to express that LGBT people are your friendly neighbors, and helping or supporting friends in the community will create a society without disrespect or discord,” it said.
The association has also asked 14 groups focused on transgender issues, same-sex families, women, religion, education, AIDS and equal rights to attend the parade.
The groups are to hold workshops, exhibitions, parades and documentary screenings on their respective issues throughout October, it added.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
Almost a quarter of volunteer soldiers who signed up from 2021 to last year have sought early discharge, the Legislative Yuan’s Budget Center said in a report. The report said that 12,884 of 52,674 people who volunteered in the period had sought an early exit from the military, returning NT$895.96 million (US$28.86 million) to the government. In 2021, there was a 105.34 percent rise in the volunteer recruitment rate, but the number has steadily declined since then, missing recruitment targets, the Chinese-language United Daily News said, citing the report. In 2021, only 521 volunteers dropped out of the military, the report said, citing
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
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