Nine Taiwanese singers and a band led by pop diva A-mei (張惠妹) are to stage a benefit concert in Taipei in August to promote same-sex marriage in Taiwan, after a bill endorsing the practice failed in the legislature last year.
The concert is scheduled for Aug. 1 at the Taipei Arena, promotional firm Tian Di He Entertainment Co said on Tuesday.
It is to feature A-mei, Jolin Tsai (蔡依林), Hebe Tien (田馥甄), Jam Hsiao (蕭敬騰), Elva Hsiao (蕭亞軒), A-Lin (黃麗玲), Dee Hsu (徐熙娣), Show Luo (羅志祥) and Rainie Yang (楊丞琳), as well as the band Sodagreen.
A-mei, known for her long-time advocacy of same-sex marriage, initiated the concert after learning that the bill, which had been shelved in the legislature for more than two years, was dropped after failing to make progress in the previous legislative session, Tian Di He said.
The proposed amendment to the Civil Code that would allow gay marriage cleared a first reading in the Legislative Yuan in 2013, but then stalled.
The proceeds of the concert, after deducting the cost of venue rental, stage and equipment hire and other expenses, are to be donated to the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, which pushed for the passage of the same-sex marriage bill, Tian Di He said.
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