Support for LGBTI rights
Once again, we are gathering to participate in the Taiwan Pride tomorrow to show our support for the LGBTI community. Over 100,000 people from around Taiwan and the Asia Pacific region will attend the event, making it the largest of its kind in Asia. This is a march to be proud of as we celebrate inclusiveness, diversity and human rights.
The European Union stands together with the LGBTI community around the world in the struggle to end discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. We believe that all human beings are equal in dignity and all are entitled to enjoy their rights as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and therefore the European Union is presenting short videos featuring 17 human rights defenders worldwide. We are very proud and happy that Taiwan’s Chi Chia-wei (祁家威) has been selected as one of the seventeen.
In the short video, Chi explains that as a gay man, the right to marry does not exist for him, unlike most of his other civil rights, and that is why he felt the need to speak up and fight for marriage equality. And he has been doing just that for the past 32 years. His bravery and tirelessness is what makes everything possible today for the LGBTI community in Taiwan. We hope, by telling Chi’s story to the whole world, more and more people will be encouraged to stand up not just for their own rights, but also for those of others.
Taiwan has one of the friendliest environments towards LGBTI community and has a lot to offer in terms of experience and best practices to others in the region. The European Union will continue to work with Taiwan’s civil society and NGOs to promote LGBTI rights, while Taiwan stands as a lighthouse to shine and light up the way for all LGBTI communities in the region.
Nonetheless, both Europe and Taiwan still have room for improvement in terms of equal rights for the LGBTI community. That is why we must continue to push and further the efforts for complete equal rights by working together, by encouraging and supporting one another, and by educating everyone to respect differences and diversity.
Come join us in the Pride Parade tomorrow. Let us march together towards true equality.
Signed by:
Madeleine Majorenko,
head of European Economic and Trade Office
Albin Mauritz,
director of Austrian Office Taipei
Rik Van Droogenbroeck,
director of Belgian Office Taipei
Nicholas Enersen,
director of The Trade Council of Denmark, Taipei
Jari Seilonen,
representative of Finland Trade Center in Taipei
Benoit Guidee,
director of The French Office in Taipei
Thomas Prinz,
director general of German Institute Taipei
Donato Scioscioli,
representative of Italian Economic, Trade and Investment Office, Taipei
Tania Berchem,
director Luxembourg Trade and Investment Office, Taipei
Guy Wittich,
representative of Netherlands Trade and Investment Office
Jose Luis Echaniz Cobas,
Director General of Spanish Chamber of Commerce
Hakan Jevrell,
representative of Business Sweden - The Swedish Trade and Invest Council
Catherine Nettleton,
representative of British Office
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