Chiayi on Tuesday became the first city outside of the six special municipalities to adopt the same-sex couples’ addendum, but the measure was criticized by same-sex couples as being too little, too late.
The addendum allows same-sex couples to exercise the same rights as family members in medical emergencies, such as signing surgery release forms and being allowed to visit hospitalized partners.
Chiayi Mayor Twu Shiing-jer (涂醒哲) told a news conference that the household registration offices in the East District (東區) and West District (西區) will begin processing registration applications by same-sex couples next month.
However, a man using the pseudonym “66” complained at the news conference that the move came too late and offered too little.
Citing the Tainan City Government’s adoption of the addendum, “66” said applicants in Tainan were able to have the addendum stamped on their household registration documents, but Chiayi does not allow such open registration. It also requires both partners to be registered residents of Chiayi, he said.
While the city government has made an effort to promote same-sex rights, the limitations have dampened the spirits of many of his friends, he said.
Chiayi officials said that the addendum could not be openly marked on household registration documents because it lacks legal backing, as same-sex marriage has yet to be legalized in the nation.
Twu also said that the city’s announcement was a tentative first step before the Civic Code could be amended to legalize same-sex marriage, and the city government is open to suggestions on how to improve the measures.
Representatives of several groups who attended the news conference called on the government to be more active in promoting lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights.
They suggested incorporating same-sex issues into sex education, hosting activities involving LGBT groups and establishing a friendlier working and medical environments toward LGBT people.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) is aware that Beijing’s treatment of Hong Kong has weakened any possible sentiment for a “one country, two systems” arrangement for Taiwan, and has instructed Chinese Communist Party (CCP) politburo member Wang Huning (王滬寧) to develop new ways of defining cross-strait relations, Japanese news magazine Nikkei Asia reported on Thursday. A former professor of international politics at Fu Dan University, Wang is expected to develop a dialogue that could serve as the foundation for cross-strait unification, and Xi plans to use the framework to support a fourth term as president, Nikkei Asia quoted an anonymous source
LUCKY DATE: The man picked the 10th ‘Super Red Envelope’ in a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10 A man who recently broke up with his girlfriend won a NT$1 million (US$32,929) prize in the “NT$20 million Super Red Envelope” lottery after picking a card based on the date of their breakup, Taiwan Lottery Co said yesterday. The man, in his 20s, bought the 10th ticket at a lottery store in Taoyuan’s Jhongli District (中壢), because he broke up with his girlfriend on Jan. 10, the store owner told the lottery company. The “Super Red Envelope” lottery was a limited offering by the company during the Lunar New Year holiday, which ended yesterday. The cards, which cost NT$2,000 each, came with
TOURISM BOOST: The transportation system could help attract more visitors to the area, as the line is to connect multiple cultural sites, a city councilor said Residents in New Taipei City’s Ankeng District (安坑) said the local light rail system might have a positive influence, but raised questions about its practicality. The Ankeng light rail system, which is to commence operations after the Lunar New Year holiday, would cut travel time for commuters from Ankeng to downtown Taipei or New Taipei City by 15 to 20 minutes, the city government said. According to the initial plan, there would be one train every 15 minutes during peak time and additional interval trains would run between the densely populated Ankang Station (安康) and Shisizhang Station (十 四張). To encourage people to
CHAMPION TREES: The team used light detection and ranging imaging to locate the tree, and found that it measured a height of 84.1m and had a girth of 8.5m A team committed to finding the tallest trees in the nation yesterday said that an 84.1m tall Taiwania cryptomerioides tree had been named the tallest tree in Taiwan and East Asia. The Taiwan Champion Trees, a team consisting of researchers from the Council of Agriculture’s Taiwan Forestry Research Institute and National Cheng Kung University (NCKU), in June last year used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) imaging to find the giant tree, numbered 55214, upstream of the Daan River (大安溪). A 20-member expedition team led by Rebecca Hsu (徐嘉君), an assistant researcher at the Taiwan Forestry Research Institute, set out to find the
RSS