With the Lovers’ Day (七夕情人節) — which falls on Aug. 9 this year — approaching, a group in Tainan is planning to help the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community celebrate the day with popsicles that promote inclusiveness.
The popsicles the group sells have packages that have half heart shapes and cartoon depictions of men and women, encouraging people to make full hearts in any combination they like: with two men, two women, or a man and a woman.
“People in Taiwan might still not be very open-minded in their views of the LGBT community, so we are working with the Tainan City North District Office to sell popsicles to support LGBT families,” Chimei Foods marketing director Lin Wan-ting (林婉婷) said.
The company has produced 20,000 of the popsicles that come in lychee, pineapple, lemon and mango flavors and are made without additives, Lin said.
Lin said the additive-free popsicles reflect the “pure love” she hopes will abound, whether between two people of the same sex or the opposite sex.
She also said that the popsicles melt quickly, just as “love is fleeting.”
Chimei borrowed an ice cream bike from its museum for the event and started displaying it at various locations around Tainan on July 22.
The company said the bike will not stay in any spot for too long and encouraged people to “run in the pursuit of love” when they see it.
“Tainan Mayor William Lai (賴清德) believes that people in love have the right to be together, and since February, same-sex household registrations are possible in Tainan,” North District Administrator Hsieh Chen-i (謝振益) said.
“In this same spirit, the Tainan City North District Office is proud to work with Chimei Foods in their popsicle event, which we think demonstrates the benevolence of the people of Tainan,” Hsieh added.
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