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.
FAST TRACK? Chinese spouses must renounce their Chinese citizenship and pledge allegiance to Taiwan to gain citizenship, some demonstrators said Opponents and supporters of a bill that would allow Chinese spouses to obtain Taiwanese citizenship in four years instead of six staged protests near the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday morning. Those who oppose the bill proposed by the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) demanded that Chinese spouses be granted citizenship only after renouncing their Chinese citizenship, passing a citizenship test and pledging allegiance to Taiwan. The demonstrators, who were protesting at a side entrance to the Legislative Yuan on Jinan Road, were mostly members of the Taiwan Association of University Professors and other organizations advocating Taiwanese independence. Supporters of the bill, led
SILENT MAJORITY: Only 1 percent of Chinese rejected all options but war to annex Taiwan, while one-third viewed war as unacceptable, a university study showed Many Chinese are more concerned with developments inside their country than with seeking unification with Taiwan, al-Jazeera reported on Friday. Although China claims Taiwan as its own territory and has vowed to annex it, by force if necessary, 23-year-old Chinese Shao Hongtian was quoted by al-Jazeera as saying that “hostilities are not the way to bring China and Taiwan together.” “I want unification to happen peacefully,” Shao said. Al-Jazeera said it changed Shao’s name to respect his wish for anonymity. If peaceful unification is not possible, Shao said he would prefer “things to remain as they are,” adding that many of his friends feel
Taiwan has “absolute air superiority” over China in its own airspace, Deputy Minister of National Defense Po Horng-huei (柏鴻輝) told a meeting of the legislature’s Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee on Monday, amid concern over whether Taipei could defend itself against a military incursion by Beijing. Po made the remarks in response to a question from Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Chiu Chih-wei (邱志偉) on whether Taiwan would have partial or complete air superiority if Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) warplanes were to enter Taiwan’s airspace. Po, a retired pilot, said that the Taiwanese military has “absolute air superiority” over PLA
A shipment of basil pesto imported by Costco Wholesale Taiwan from the US in the middle of last month was intercepted at the border after testing positive for excessive pesticide residue, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said yesterday. Samples taken from a shipment of the Kirkland Signature brand of basil pesto imported by Costco contained 0.1 milligrams per kilogram of ethylene oxide, exceeding the non-detectable limit. Ethylene oxide is a carcinogenic substance that can be used as a pesticide. The 674kg shipment of basil pesto would either be destroyed or returned to its country of origin, as is the procedure for all