Taiwanese gay rights advocates are teaming up to join a pride parade in New York City on June 30, Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said, adding that the group is planning a “Wedding Banquet” exhibition to showcase the nation’s progress in promoting same-sex marriage rights.
Taiwan on May 17 became the 27th nation and the first in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, the ripple effect of which is being felt in neighboring countries, the coalition said.
Several South Korean activists expressed the hope that their country would follow suit during their pride march earlier this month, while a number of lawmakers in Japan have continued to propose bills to promote marriage equality, it said.
Photo courtesy of Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising, which refers to a series of demonstrations initiated by gay communities in New York against a police raid at the Stonewall Inn on June 28, 1969, and is considered a seminal event leading to the LGBT+ liberation movement in the US.
To commemorate the anniversary, gay rights advocates are to stage the WorldPride and New York City Pride in the same city this year.
Given Taiwan’s leading role in promoting marriage equality in Asia, the coalition is encouraging people to join the June 30 parade.
A team composed of Taiwanese advocates would join the parade for the fourth consecutive year,
The coalition is also to stage an exhibition titled “The Wedding Banquet: A Celebration of Same-Sex Marriage in Taiwan and Beyond” at the Perfect White Box Gallery in New York City from June 29 to July 6, it said.
Cast in the form of a traditional Taiwanese wedding banquet, the exhibit is meant to trumpet Taiwanese society’s historical progress in promoting marriage equality and gay rights, as well as the values of democracy, freedom and human rights, it said.
By joining the parade and staging the show, the coalition said it hopes Taiwan’s experience in promoting universal human rights would shine on the global stage.
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