Former vice president Wu Den-yih’s (吳敦義) call for the government to hit the brakes on amending the Civil Code for the sake of “an extremely small minority with a different sexual orientation” has drawn fire, with critics saying it showed a poor understanding of democracy.
Wu, a candidate in the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) chairperson election on May 20, made the comments on Tuesday during a visit to several military dependents’ villages in Taoyuan’s Yangmei (楊梅), Jhongli (中壢) and Gueishan (龜山) districts.
When a supporter in Jhongli stopped him and urged him to pay more attention to the issue of same-sex marriage, Wu said that society needs to show respect to people who have a different sexual orientation by giving them space, but he does not support amending the Civil Code just for this minority.
Photo: Chen Yun, Taipei Times
The nation can work on legislating a specific act regulating same-sex marriages, he said, adding that amending the Civil Code would disrupt the lives of the majority and an ethical order that has been in place for centuries.
President Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) administration should halt the proposed legislation immediately, he said.
Wu’s remarks drew a sharp reaction from Chen Fang-ming (陳芳明), a professor at National Chengchi University’s Graduate Institute of Taiwan Literature.
Chen said on Facebook yesterday that what Wu said showed that he was absolutely clueless about democracy.
“He is basically still living in the martial law era. The core concepts of democracy and human rights are equality and justice, not separating people,” he said.
“The nation has had three changes in government, but the KMT does not seem to have changed its ideas about politics and still thinks that government is meant to serve those with vested interests,” Chen said.
“Wu wants to halt the proposed legislation on same-sex marriages; what he does not know is that people have already stopped believing in the KMT. Should the party continue to promote its own vested interests, it would never become the ruling party again,” he said.
Presidential Office spokesman Alex Huang (黃重諺) on Tuesday said that while the office understands Wu’s needs to talk about issues for his campaign, he should seek to understand the matter first before saying anything.
Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy director Lu Yen-rong (呂嬿融) also disagreed with Wu, saying that homosexuals have the fundamental right to form their own families even though they are few in number.
“A majority of the people in this country believe in equality and justice, and they would not easily disregard the interests of the very few,” Lu said.
On the other hand, Alliance for the Happiness of Future Generations spokesperson Tseng Hsieh-ying (曾獻瑩) said that although the group believes in the protection of each person’s rights, one should consider the impact on children when discussing changing the definition of marriage.
She said that the government needs to conduct a full evaluation on the possibility of amending the Civil Code and then hold a referendum to allow the majority to make the final decision.
Hong Kong singer Eason Chan’s (陳奕迅) concerts in Kaohsiung this weekend have been postponed after he was diagnosed with Covid-19 this morning, the organizer said today. Chan’s “FEAR and DREAMS” concert which was scheduled to be held in the coming three days at the Kaohsiung Arena would be rescheduled to May 29, 30 and 31, while the three shows scheduled over the next weekend, from May 23 to 25, would be held as usual, Universal Music said in a statement. Ticket holders can apply for a full refund or attend the postponed concerts with the same seating, the organizer said. Refund arrangements would
Taiwanese indie band Sunset Rollercoaster and South Korean outfit Hyukoh collectively received the most nominations at this year’s Golden Melody Awards, earning a total of seven nods from the jury on Wednesday. The bands collaborated on their 2024 album AAA, which received nominations for best band, best album producer, best album design and best vocal album recording. “Young Man,” a single from the album, earned nominations for song of the year and best music video, while another track, “Antenna,” also received a best music video nomination. Late Hong Kong-American singer Khalil Fong (方大同) was named the jury award winner for his 2024 album
RESOLUTIONS DEBATE: Taiwan’s allies said that UN and WHA resolutions cited by China and other nations ‘do not determine Taiwan’s participation in WHO activities’ A proposal to invite Taiwan to this year’s World Health Assembly (WHA) was rejected on Monday, resulting in Taipei’s absence from the annual meeting for a ninth consecutive year, although partners spoke up for Taiwan’s participation at the first day of the meeting. The first agenda item after the opening was a “two-on-two debate” on a proposal to invite Taiwan to participate at the WHA as an observer. Similar to previous years, two countries made statements in favor of the proposal, while two others expressed their opposition. Philippine Secretary of Health Teodoro Herbosa, president of the 78th WHA, accepted the WHA General Committee’s
Palauan President Surangel Whipps Jr arrived in Taiwan last night to kick off his first visit to the country since beginning his second term earlier this year. After arriving at Taoyuan International Airport at around 6:30 pm, Whipps and his delegation were welcomed by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍). Speaking to gathered media, the Palauan leader said he was excited and honored to be back in Taiwan on his first state visit to Taiwan since he was sworn in this January. Among those traveling with Whipps is Minister of State Gustav N. Aitaro, Public Infrastructure
RSS