The largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) conference in Asia opened yesterday in Taipei, with local activists eager to learn from the experiences of other participants about combating discrimination and pursuing equal rights.
The sixth ILGA-Asia Regional Conference has drawn 300 activists from more than 30 countries, and Wayne Lin, chairperson of the event’s organizer, the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBT) Hotline Association, sees it as a chance for Taiwan to share its experiences with the world and learn how LGBT issues are dealt with in other countries.
“By learning from each other, we hope to bring our cooperation one step further and strengthen Taiwan’s LGBT activism,” Lin said at the opening of the three-day conference — being held in Taiwan for the first time — at the Chientan Overseas Youth Activity Center.
Madeleine Majorenko, head of the European Economic and Trade Office in Taiwan, said the EU sees Taiwan as a front-runner in the fight for LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans and intersex) rights and was proud to support the conference.
“Through the sharing of experience and best practices, and the discussions on subjects of profound impact, together I think we will be able to strengthen the fight against LGBTI discrimination in Asia,” Majorenko said.
The EU provided 40,000 euros (US$44,131) in funding for the International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association-Asia’s regional conference.
A free exhibition aimed at teaching the public about air-raid shelters and basic emergency personal protection skills today opened on the concourse level of the Taipei MRT's Ximen Station. The event, organized by the National Police Agency, aims to raise awareness about disaster preparedness ahead of nationwide air raid drills scheduled from July 15 to 18, which are part of broader urban resilience exercises. The exhibition outlines the recommended actions people should take depending on whether they are indoors, commuting or outdoors when air-raid sirens sound. It also teaches people how to equip air-raid shelters and pack emergency "go bags," with displays
A first shipment of five tons of Taiwan tilapia was sent from Tainan to Singapore on Wednesday, following an order valued at NT$600,000 (US$20,500) placed with a company in the city. The products, including frozen whole fish and pre- cooked fish belly, were dispatched from Jiangjun Fishing Harbor, where a new aquatic processing and logistics center is under construction. At the launch, Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) called the move a “breakthrough,” marking Taiwan’s expansion into the Singaporean tilapia market. Taiwan’s tilapia exports have traditionally focused on the United States, Canada, and the Middle East, Huang said, adding that the new foothold in
An electric bus charging facility at Taipei Metro’s Beitou Depot officially opened yesterday with 22 charging bays to serve the city’s 886 electric buses. Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) told a ceremony to mark the opening of the facility that the city aims to fully electrify its bus fleet by 2030. The number of electric buses has grown from about 650 last year to 886 this year and is expected to surpass 1,000 by the end of the year, Chiang said. Setting up the charging station in a metro depot optimizes land and energy use, as the metro uses power mainly during the
An exhibition demonstrating the rejuvenation of the indigenous Kuskus Village in Pingtung County’s Mudan Township (牡丹) opened at the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency’s conservation station in Taipei on Thursday. Agency Director-General Lin Hwa-ching (林華慶) said they have been promoting the use and development of forestry resources to local indigenous residents for eight years to drive regional revitalization. While modern conservation approaches mostly stem from western scientific research, eco-friendly knowledge and skills passed down through generations of indigenous people, who have lived in Taiwan for centuries, could be more suitable for the environment, he said. The agency’s Pingtung branch Director-General Yang Jui-fen (楊瑞芬)