Comments Taipei Mayor Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) made in a speech in Boston yesterday have fanned speculation that he opposes same-sex marriage, prompting a clarification from Ko.
Ko arrived in the Massachusetts capital on Thursday evening on the final stop of his four-city visit to the US and spoke at events with young Taiwanese entrepreneurs and students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology on Friday. He spoke about how he went from being a doctor to a mayor, his experience in municipal administration, and the importance of being brave and innovative.
He also said that Taipei was the most democratic, open and diversified city in East Asia, joking that Chinese visitors to Taiwan were fascinated with political talk shows that allowed people to criticize the president, drawing laughter from those in attendance.
Photo courtesy of the Taipei City Government
“Don’t laugh, just see what happens if you openly criticize [Chinese President] Xi Jinping (習近平) on the streets of Shanghai,” Ko said.
He also cited Eid al-Fitr celebrations, which mark the end of the Islamic month of Ramadan and draw more than 50,000 people, as evidence of Taipei’s diversity.
However, when citing participation rates at the Taiwan LGBT Pride Parade each year, he said: “Although I voted against you at the referendums, I allow 125,000 people to parade on the streets.”
“The referendum on the issue of same-sex marriage was rejected,” Ko said, adding that despite this, the parade shows that Taipei is a city of tolerance.
Ko had previously refused to discuss his stance on the referendums held in November last year.
However, on Facebook yesterday, the mayor said he had made an inaccurate remark in the speech.
“My intention was not to say that I voted against it in the referendum, nor did I mean I ‘permit’ the parade,” he wrote. “I meant that although the referendum showed the majority are against it, even so they do not interfere with the parade or other events.”
A tropical depression in waters east of the Philippines could develop into a tropical storm as soon as today and bring rainfall as it approaches, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, while issuing heat warnings for 14 cities and counties. Weather model simulations show that there are still considerable differences in the path that the tropical depression is projected to take. It might pass through the Bashi Channel to the South China Sea or turn northeast and move toward the sea south of Japan, CWA forecaster Yeh Chih-chun (葉致均) said, adding that the uncertainty of its movement is still high,
TAIWANESE INNOVATION: The ‘Seawool’ fabric generates about NT$200m a year, with the bulk of it sourced by clothing brands operating in Europe and the US Growing up on Taiwan’s west coast where mollusk farming is popular, Eddie Wang saw discarded oyster shells transformed from waste to function — a memory that inspired him to create a unique and environmentally friendly fabric called “Seawool.” Wang remembered that residents of his seaside hometown of Yunlin County used discarded oyster shells that littered the streets during the harvest as insulation for their homes. “They burned the shells and painted the residue on the walls. The houses then became warm in the winter and cool in the summer,” the 42-year-old said at his factory in Tainan. “So I was
THE TOUR: Pope Francis has gone on a 12-day visit to Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore. He was also invited to Taiwan The government yesterday welcomed Pope Francis to the Asia-Pacific region and said it would continue extending an invitation for him to visit Taiwan. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs made the remarks as Pope Francis began a 12-day tour of the Asia-Pacific on Monday. He is to travel about 33,000km by air to visit Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor and Singapore, and would arrive back in Rome on Friday next week. It would be the longest and most challenging trip of Francis’ 11-year papacy. The 87-year-old has had health issues over the past few years and now uses a wheelchair. The ministry said
Discounted 72-hour Taipei Metro passes are to be offered to China Airlines passengers until Feb. 28 next year, the airline announced today. China Airlines passengers may present their boarding pass for a discount of up to 34 percent when buying a Taipei Metro 72-hour unlimited travel pass. The offer is available to international travelers on international flights bound for Taipei. Within seven days of arrival, travelers can present their boarding pass, passport and proof of flight payment at an EZfly counter in Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport or Taoyuan MRT Taipei Main Station to obtain the discounted passes, the airline said. One 72-hour pass
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