Support for gay rights
An article published by the Taipei Times reported on a gay couple who dropped their bid to register their marriage was very enlightening and revealed the status of gay rights in Taiwan (“Couple drop court appeal over gay marriage ban,” Jan. 24, page 2).
I believe the social activist who has admirably assisted the couple through their proceedings was mistaken when he said the couple was “compromising with the system by withdrawing the case.”
This couple should not be expected to champion marriage equality for the whole country, especially after receiving death threats. Even if they were empty threats, their safety is not guaranteed. I would not be surprised if there was no serious investigation into the threats they received.
This is not compromising; this is a step to ensure the safety of their loved ones.
At some point, someone will have to take a stand against the bullies for marriage equality to move forward.
However, for someone to do this, they should have as much support from their community and allies as they can have.
When Nelson Chen (陳敬學) was quoted as saying,“We are ready, but we don’t think society is ready yet,” this should indicate that not only is the opposition not ready to concede, but many allies of marriage equality are not ready to proceed.
How can this couple be accused of compromising when they do not have the confidence in the society their allies are a part of?
By bringing the issue to the administrative court, the couple attracted national attention for their cause and a new platform for debate.
There is not a shortage of opponents of marriage equality, so what is needed now is more proponents. By proponents I do not just mean more people from the gay community, but also individuals and groups who are not gay and believe in equal marriage rights.
In the US, the struggle for gay rights has lasted decades and has recently become a popular issue because of the gay community’s persistence and support from people and groups who support their rights.
US President Barack Obama’s recent inaugural address, in which he supported gay marriage, is a prime example of non-gay parties keeping the issue on the table and not allowing the opposition to let it fade away and out of our minds.
Many labor unions and progressive parties have been vocal in their support of gay marriage, which brings the movement more supporters to counter the numerous opponents.
There will always be people ready to fight against marriage equality. What proponents should be doing is becoming more active in gaining support from all people and groups who feel this injustice should be corrected.
With their backing, the gay community can feel confident that there are those in society who are ready to take on the opposition with them.
Liam Granfield
Hsinchu City
Speaking at the Copenhagen Democracy Summit on May 13, former president Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) said that democracies must remain united and that “Taiwan’s security is essential to regional stability and to defending democratic values amid mounting authoritarianism.” Earlier that day, Tsai had met with a group of Danish parliamentarians led by Danish Parliament Speaker Pia Kjaersgaard, who has visited Taiwan many times, most recently in November last year, when she met with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office. Kjaersgaard had told Lai: “I can assure you that ... you can count on us. You can count on our support
Denmark has consistently defended Greenland in light of US President Donald Trump’s interests and has provided unwavering support to Ukraine during its war with Russia. Denmark can be proud of its clear support for peoples’ democratic right to determine their own future. However, this democratic ideal completely falls apart when it comes to Taiwan — and it raises important questions about Denmark’s commitment to supporting democracies. Taiwan lives under daily military threats from China, which seeks to take over Taiwan, by force if necessary — an annexation that only a very small minority in Taiwan supports. Denmark has given China a
Many local news media over the past week have reported on Internet personality Holger Chen’s (陳之漢) first visit to China between Tuesday last week and yesterday, as remarks he made during a live stream have sparked wide discussions and strong criticism across the Taiwan Strait. Chen, better known as Kuan Chang (館長), is a former gang member turned fitness celebrity and businessman. He is known for his live streams, which are full of foul-mouthed and hypermasculine commentary. He had previously spoken out against the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and criticized Taiwanese who “enjoy the freedom in Taiwan, but want China’s money”
A high-school student surnamed Yang (楊) gained admissions to several prestigious medical schools recently. However, when Yang shared his “learning portfolio” on social media, he was caught exaggerating and even falsifying content, and his admissions were revoked. Now he has to take the “advanced subjects test” scheduled for next month. With his outstanding performance in the general scholastic ability test (GSAT), Yang successfully gained admissions to five prestigious medical schools. However, his university dreams have now been frustrated by the “flaws” in his learning portfolio. This is a wake-up call not only for students, but also teachers. Yang did make a big
RSS