Over 200,000 Celebrate Equality as Taiwan Hosts Asia’s Largest Pride Parade

More than 200,000 people took to the streets of Taiwan’s capital, Taipei, on Saturday for what organizers said was Asia’s largest-ever LGBT pride parade.

In a sea of rainbow flags, glitter, and plenty of exposed flesh, attendees marched from Taipei’s City Hall to a stage near the Presidential Office in the first parade held since Taiwan, in May, became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriage.

Taiwan’s move to legalize gay marriage came just before a deadline set in May 2017 by the country’s high court for its parliament to enact laws recognizing marriages between same-sex couples within two years. That period was mired with uncertainty and pessimism over the government’s inaction to enshrine same-sex unions into law. This year, however, the mood at Taipei’s Pride parade was largely celebratory.

Same-sex couple Shaffer Lin, 34, and Chen Jin-yi, 41, who attended the Pride parade with their dog, married on May 24, the day same-sex marriage became legal in Taiwan. They carried a sign reading: “We’ve been together 13 years and finally got married.”

Shaffer Lin (L) and Chen Jin-yi. (Photo: Rik Glauert)

The 17th annual Taiwan Pride kicked off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations at Taipei City Hall Plaza and ended 5.6 kilometers across the city outside the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard.

Some 180 different groups and 24 floats signed up to the march, according to organizers, along with 30 corporate representatives—the most of any Pride event.

Benson Lee, spokesperson for organizers Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan, said that while a new route across the city was challenging, they were pleased with the record-breaking attendance.

“We believe it was successful due to everyone’s efforts, just like our theme—Together, Make Taiwan Better,” Lee said.

The parade was the landmark event in a month of LGBT+ events across Taipei. Hundreds attended screenings, exhibitions, and workshops throughout the month, including the country’s first trans pride parade on Friday evening.

(Photo: Roy Ngerng)

Long Road to Equality

Saturday’s mood was markedly different to last year’s Pride event. In October 2018, the LGBT community and their allies were rallying to counter well-funded misinformation campaigns by anti-LGBT groups ahead of November 2018 referendums on same-sex marriage.

In 2017, Taiwan’s Constitutional Court had declared it was unconstitutional to deny same-sex couples the right to marry, and gave lawmakers a two-year deadline to legislate.

In the referendums, Taiwan voted overwhelmingly against changing the country’s Civil Code to grant same-sex couples equal rights.

However, just in time for the court deadline, Taiwan’s ruling Democratic Progressive Party pushed a same-sex marriage bill through parliament in May. The law, which operates separately from the country’s Civil Code, affords same-sex couples similar rights to opposite-sex couples.

On Saturday, legendary activist Chi Chia-wei (祁家威), who was waving a giant rainbow flag two stories above Zhongxiao East Road to cheers and applause from crowds passing below, told Ketagalan Media he was very “happy” and “proud” to be attending the first Pride event since same-sex marriage became legal.

However, he also warned that “anti-LGBT forces” were still working against the community. “We should be happy, but not forget our ideals,” he said.

Chi Chia-wei. (Photo: Rik Glauert)

Some marchers were keen to point out that the landmark same-sex marriage law had not brought equality to every same-sex couple in Taiwan.

According to Taiwan law, same-sex marriages between a Taiwanese national and a foreign national are dependent on the relevant law in the foreign national’s country of origin. If same-sex marriage is illegal in the country of the foreign national. it is impossible for the couple to marry in Taiwan.

Macau-Taiwan couple Guzifer Leong and Chen Shin-chi were on board the float of the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR).

“We have to keep going on to promote other LGBTQ rights [to] include, like us, the transnational gay couple,” Leong told Ketagalan Media.

(Photo: Roy Ngerng)

First in Asia

Members of the LGBT community from around Asia traveled to Taipei to congratulate the country on its landmark achievement.

“I am so excited to join the pride party,” said Takeharu Kato, a lawyer for Marriage for All Japan. “So many people have joined. We must support you all here in Taiwan.”

13 same-sex couples have launched cases in district courts across Japan as part of the greatest attempt at securing marriage equality in Japanese history. They argue that limiting marriage to opposite-sex couples contravenes equality and freedoms protected under the country’s Constitution.

Peng Yanzi, the director of LGBT Rights Advocacy China, said he was moved to see not only so many LGBT people but also allies on Taipei streets.

“We don’t have the opportunity to do this in China, everyone is so proud and brave here,” said Peng, who was attending his first pride parade in Taiwan. “I don’t think we will have this in five, or even 10 years in China.”

A number of Hong Kong groups were among the parade, including a few sporting the iconic protester attire of goggles, gas mask, and yellow hard hat. Others carried flags bearing the protest slogan “liberate Hong Kong, the revolution of our times” alongside their rainbow flags.

Last week, a Hong Kong court struck down a court challenge to broaden the meaning of marriage in the city to allow same-sex unions.

Billy Leung, a leading LGBT activist from Hong Kong who attended Saturday’s Taipei Pride parade, said he was touched by the experience.

“I was in tears to see there was so much support and love for Hong Kong from the people of Taiwan,” he said.

(Photo: Roy Ngerng)

(Cover photo by Roy Ngerng)