Clashes broke out yesterday as pro-gay marriage activists tried to join a “Happy Family” rally organized by Christian churches in Taipei to promote the idea of a family as consisting of one father, one mother and their children.
“Let us in, we also support family values, we also want to have a happy family,” about 100 activists shouted as they were pushed back by church volunteers holding up placards bearing slogans such as: “Protect the children,” “No sex before marriage” and “One husband and one wife make a happy family.”
“We also support family values and support the call to protect children, why can we not take part in the rally?” Chen Chia-chun (陳嘉君), executive director of the Shih Ming-teh Cultural Foundation, asked the church demonstrators as others gay rights activists shouted that same-sex couples have the right to form happy families too.
Photo: Lo Pei-der, Taipei Times
“You cannot go in there [into the rally], because there are children there,” a volunteer said.
After about 20 minutes of scuffles, the organizers finally agreed to allow the activists to participate in the event, on the condition that they would sit down quietly like the other attendees.
However, despite the organizer’s decision, when the gay rights activists walked into the venue, some of those attending the church rally tried to block their entrance, leading to more minor verbal and physical clashes.
One of the rally attendants, Liu Chung-fang (劉忠芳), stared at the gay rights activists as they entered the venue, calling them “shameless,” but the demonstrators did not react.
When one of the same-sex marriage advocates tried to explain to the church rally participants the view that everyone should enjoy the same right to marriage, many parents covered their children’s ears, turned their kids’ heads away, or told the activist to stop.
“I think it’s time for our generation to stand up and defend the rights of same-sex couples,” Chang Wen-wei (張文瑋), a sophomore at Shih Chien University and a member of the United Students for Same-Sex Marriage, said when asked why he was campaigning with the other activists.
“There should not be any restrictions on family based on gender orientation and we should fight for the happiness of the next generations,” Chang added.
Two Taiwanese Tibetan Buddhist nuns also attended to show their support for same-sex marriage.
“Marriage is not an option for us Buddhist clergy, however, we would like to say that everyone should be treated with respect and everyone’s choices should be respected,” said Lobsang Nelug, one of the nuns.
Although the organizer of the church rally said the focus of the event was promoting family values, not opposing same-sex marriage, many of the rally’s official signs bore messages advocating that a happy family is one with a father-mother parental unit.
Perhaps furthering the perception that the rally was anti-gay marriage was a homemade sign brandished by one church supporter praising anti-gay laws in Uganda defining homosexuality as a crime punishable by life in prison and urging the government to “be courageous” and follow Kampala’s example.
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