Social Democratic Party member Miao Po-ya (苗博雅) yesterday called on people to join a signature drive for a proposed referendum on marriage equality to be included in the nine-in-one elections on Nov. 24, saying it needs about 130,000 signatures to pass the second-stage threshold.
The group collected the signatures it has in a month without any help from political parties, Miao told a news conference in Taipei.
The group is to establish 50 stations nationwide over the weekend in a final push to gather signatures, Miao said.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
The Legislative Yuan is still debating whether homosexual marriages should be included in an amendment to the Civil Code, or if special legislation is required, Miao said, adding that special legislation poses a great threat to the movement.
A referendum for gender equality education also might not pass, Miao said, adding that “it would take us back 30 years to education material that is discriminatory against the LGBT community.”
Internet celebrity Liu Yu (劉宇) said no one wanted to protest.
“Let us conclude this matter this year. Let us marry in peace, and we will stay at home and off the streets,” he said.
Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Tuan Yi-kang (段宜康) called for people to sign and support the movement if they support the idea that people should be able to form a family with whoever they love.
Veteran gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei (祁家威) also called on the public to sign and support both referendums, adding that he believes gender equality should be taught in kindergarten.
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a sea warning for Typhoon Fung-wong effective from 5:30pm, while local governments canceled school and work for tomorrow. A land warning is expected to be issued tomorrow morning before it is expected to make landfall on Wednesday, the agency said. Taoyuan, and well as Yilan, Hualien and Penghu counties canceled work and school for tomorrow, as well as mountainous district of Taipei and New Taipei City. For updated information on closures, please visit the Directorate-General of Personnel Administration Web site. As of 5pm today, Fung-wong was about 490km south-southwest of Oluanpi (鵝鑾鼻), Taiwan's southernmost point.
A magnitude 5.3 earthquake struck Kaohsiung at 1pm today, the Central Weather Administration said. The epicenter was in Jiasian District (甲仙), 72.1km north-northeast of Kaohsiung City Hall, at a depth of 7.8km, agency data showed. There were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake's intensity, which gauges the actual effects of a temblor, was highest in Kaohsiung and Tainan, where it measured a 4 on Taiwan's seven-tier intensity scale. It also measured a 3 in parts of Chiayi City, as well as Pingtung, Yunlin and Hualien counties, data showed.
Nearly 5 million people have signed up to receive the government’s NT$10,000 (US$322) universal cash handout since registration opened on Wednesday last week, with deposits expected to begin tomorrow, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. After a staggered sign-up last week — based on the final digit of the applicant’s national ID or Alien Resident Certificate number — online registration is open to all eligible Taiwanese nationals, foreign permanent residents and spouses of Taiwanese nationals. Banks are expected to start issuing deposits from 6pm today, the ministry said. Those who completed registration by yesterday are expected to receive their NT$10,000 tomorrow, National Treasury
Taiwan next year plans to launch its first nationwide census on elderly people living independently to identify the estimated 700,000 seniors to strengthen community-based healthcare and long-term care services, the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MOHW) said yesterday. Minister of Health and Welfare Shih Chung-liang (石崇良) said on the sidelines of a healthcare seminar that the nation’s rapidly aging population and declining birthrate have made the issue of elderly people living alone increasingly pressing. The survey, to be jointly conducted by the MOHW and the Ministry of the Interior, aims to establish baseline data and better allocate care resources, he
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