The EU-Taiwan LGBTI Human Rights Conference on Intersex, Transgender and Protection of Lesbian and Gay Rights began yesterday in Taipei.
At the two-day conference, organized by the Executive Yuan Gender Equality Committee and other groups, participants focus on protecting transgender and intersex rights, in addition to the next steps in the fight for equality for gay and lesbian people.
The conference, taking place at the Howard Civil Service International House, was organized under the EU-Taiwan Gender Equality Cooperation and Training Framework, established in 2019 after participants at the first EU-Taiwan Human Rights Consultation in 2018 agreed to enhance cooperation on LGBTQ+ and gender issues in Asia.
Photo: Tien Yu-hua, Taipei Times
The first conference under the framework was held in October 2019 on marriage equality and protecting LGBTQ+ rights.
That gathering, organized by the committee, the European Economic and Trade Office and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, drew 280 participants from 31 countries in Europe and Asia.
No meetings were held the next two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making the current conference the second edition.
In related developments, hundreds of candidates running in the Nov. 26 local elections have completed a Taiwan Equality Campaign questionnaire on LGBTQ+ issues, representing the nation’s largest-ever survey tracking politicians’ stances on the topic.
As of Wednesday, 200 candidates for positions ranging from city mayor and county commissioner, all the way through borough warden had declared their support for LGBTQ+ rights by registering and completing the questionnaire on the campaign’s Web site: Pride Watch (https://pridewatch.tw).
Apart from filling out the questionnaire, the campaign in a statement also called on candidates to attend the Taipei Pride parade tomorrow, as well as the Good Market event in Taichung on Saturday next week and Kaohsiung Pride on Nov. 19.
The campaign said it would give candidates who attend these events a sticker showing their support, enabling them to be recognized by potential voters.
The Pride Watch questionnaire asks five yes-or-no questions of candidates regarding support for fostering allyships in local government, creating gender-inclusive public spaces, administrative equality for LGBTQ+ families and gender-inclusive education in schools, as well as a pledge not to use discriminatory language during the campaign and to correct falsehoods.
Mayoral candidates in four of the six special municipalities have declared their support, including Taipei candidates Chen Shih-chung (陳時中) of the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP), independent Vivian Huang (黃珊珊), Chiang Wan-an (蔣萬安) of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), Chang Chia-hao (張家豪) of the Taiwan Animal Protection Party and Huang Sheng-feng (黃聖峰) of the Sovereign State for Formosa and Pescadores Party.
New Taipei City mayoral candidate Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) of the DPP has indicated his support, as well as Taoyuan mayoral candidates Cheng Yun-peng (鄭運鵬) of the DPP and Lai Hsiang-ling (賴香伶) of the Taiwan People’s Party.
Incumbent Tainan Mayor Huang Wei-che (黃偉哲) of the DPP has also filled the questionnaire.
Of the nation’s 22 cities and counties, Taipei has the most candidates who have expressed support, including 32 city councilor candidates.
DPP Lienchiang County commissioner candidate Lii Wen (李問) is the only candidate in the outlying islands to show support through the questionnaire, the campaign said.
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