A hub for love
Argentina recently became the first country in South America to legalize gay marriage. The question now is which country in Asia will be first to take the plight of the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and questioning) community seriously?
Taiwan is progressive in its ideology and way of thinking. Examples include an anti-discrimination clause in the Constitution, openly allowing men and women to serve in the military, religion having no bearing on the running of the country and an open door policy towards diversity. I say, why not be the first Asian country to allow its citizens to marry the person they love without prejudice or misconception. I have learned that love is borderless and my definition is very simple (no gender, color, creed, religion etc).
I think that if Taiwan continues to define its existence in terms of its relationship to China, with its ECFA and financial dependence, without addressing human rights issues at home, it will lose its way.
In the two years since President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) came to power, human rights have been undermined and Taiwan’s international reputation has suffered. Another problem is the spread of HIV among people in their 20s. I notice that the level of HIV in countries that allow same-sex marriages is far lower than in any country that doesn’t, including the US.
It would be wise for Taiwan to allow same-sex marriages for several reasons. First and foremost everyone should be able to enter into a contract with the person they love as that enriches life in so many ways. It is always preferable to have a committed partner as opposed to one-night stands that create self-esteem issues, spread sexually transmitted diseases and foster mental instability.
Allowing same-sex couples to adopt children who need a loving home from teenagers unable to look after them, drug addict mothers, or even children with autism would be beneficial to society. The sharing of financial affairs like buying a home, car, credit cards and anything else ensures banking institutions retain business even if one of the couple passes away.
The rewards of building loving homes whether by heterosexual or homosexual couples could be a life-saving measure for Taiwan and will make it a hub for love.
RICK LOPEZ
Hsinchu City
Stop whaling now
Whaling is a crucial issue debated around the world. Recently the Taipei Times reported that the South Pacific island state of Palau is ending its support for Japan’s scientific whaling program in favor of the catch quota proposal being considered by the International Whaling Commission (“Palau withdrawing support for Japan’s whaling program,” June 15, page 5).
Many countries engage in whaling, including Japan, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada and the Faroe Islands. These nations have hunted whales in large numbers for many years and sell whale meat in shops and supermarkets. In 1986, the International Whaling Commission (IWC), established to manage whale conservation, imposed a moratorium on commercial whaling. However, several member countries continue to protest the moratorium.
Japan still hunts and kills hundreds of whales each year under the guise of “scientific research.” Indeed, Japan announced its intention to expand its whaling, despite deadlock with the IWC over the issue and encounters between its whaling fleet and the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society. Despite global opposition the Japanese still catch large numbers of whales.
Although the IWC moratorium on whaling has been in place for 24 years, these wonderful animals are still under threat from man. Moreover, the hunting of small cetaceans is not regulated by the IWC. If whaling continues to expand, whales face extinction. This is a problem that should force governments worldwide to rethink their position on the IWC moratorium the next time it meets.
We should oppose commercial whaling on the grounds that it is more important to protect our natural environment and an endangered species. We should also take action to promote global awareness of whale conservation.
MELODY WU
Taipei
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