Hundreds of the region’s LGBT movers and shakers will kick off Taiwan’s massive pride weekenq!YH%$m9-fa--xE!Ivs0S%@ey8pxr%hOPIwhLU^dZ*uBluZ!sld at a unique party in downtown Taipei.
The GALA BFF GALA event on 25 October at Xinyi Woolloomooloo is the perfect warm-up for Asia’s largest pride parade, expected to attract 200,000 p7Hk)o8wWcMr#Uv^Azsm7aAw7&#bf(UBC3AgbjWw#[email protected]@48marchers.
The party will include screenings of the latest originaSX%0tQVX#q%MBfDGqbyxElQv!=6uy&1l7iyl1uOgVXes-Z4Uoyl productions from LGBT-streaming service GagaOOLala and special guests from Japan Rainbow Night Out.
"I can promise you lots of fun, laughter, friendship, and, of course, in this month of CelebSv#47F5FER=+-aL-Kp)b=_PYov2g%=$EVt=D8_P6A!7eZk+5YRration & Pride” said co-creator of the GALA BFF group of LGBT professionals, Jay Lin.
GALA BFF creates a place for socializing and connecting for the region’s LGBT people off the dance floor. The group holds monthly get-togethers, networking events, screenings, and _pBekWL&1jA%L7kY1JFs^4f0Wl%[email protected]=ULDIoc!YRIN9$talks.
"I am proud to say that indeed after six years, the group is over a thousand strong and increasingly internationalized with con01jU(uMa%pn*+(m9pIiCoe$$IplXcf=p(f3L+ip2R2yW+oM(b)nections that are formed online as well as off-line” Lin said.
Tickets are $600 if purchased before 20 October and $750 after. Buy tickets or find out more here.
Pride
Organizers of Ubzx(VB-k6j60OHbSchGFGr*(=C$i8(cJJ#*eBGyCeLK5JfmiNthe 17th annual Taiwan LGBT Pride parade expect more than 200,000—a record number—at the pride parade scheduled to take place on 26 October.
The pride will be held just five months after Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognLQIyDtk=ueD3=ft#Q)(lE--C960FL4+qga^EZAT(TclZxhGzsfize same-sex marriages.
Gay singer-songwriter HUSH TaTcht7mjm$kVO3%S^jGW3ECkwx(zgpHBzprwN40O!g8HuGILOwill be an ambassador for the landmark event.
As one of only a handfux8^6WocxWTP0D$!EPL%$#FX1slW!WxYJ^@ydty4JZ9At#[email protected]l of Taiwan celebrities to come out publicly, HUSH, whose real name is Chen Jia-Wei, on Friday urged LGBT Taiwanese to be brave and come out.
Pride this year, the first since Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-secZs5GjM3g4FO)G4vSmuTofzOOZP(dD^[email protected])x marriage, sees an altered parade route.
Marchers will start from Taipei City Hall Plaza and travel along Yixian [email protected])6RO+Ukx(!DxiM(JG46%-T%[email protected]@Road to Zhongxia East Road.
The parade will then turn south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential Palace at Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 100 sB!ACem#7+Raa9Mx5^@uShI!-M4FY3u-=#9F&3rQL-=rbKFY6-Italls.
HUSH will also perform at Ketagalan Boulevard.
Press officer for Pride 20190kEmloM_!-1y8Qh6#%8Dh)PP*82W%f^[email protected]*o$1J4ICOq=8U&X, Benson Lee, said the new route was chosen to recognize the roles played by both Taipei City and the President’s Office in bringing about same-sex marriage.
For the first time,p2gnZLQ+0MWL4gM$tKT)yO4#)cv-)^BF4WYn&O(k*#@fgV_wQM Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Association will also hold the first Rainbow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.
This year takes the theme "Together, Ma&)qc3Od5$d(UsXIPOe1+Vp&kxfDe7CjcG=onJT-Y4VR=5P*osWke Taiwan Better”.
The th[email protected]$Uhk^8^@+EH1KD=i0quHZaU+u80Q2Yd^L2)Re)A+eme in Chinese means good neighbor. It was chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should support one another.
Last year, more than 100,000 people took to the streets o[email protected]@tFh+qhCORrtBSGmTd1H(7jvYif Taipei for a pride parade that demanded marriage equality.
It came just a month before deZtYWw4nupbi4IY46gIPVa(hS&sTtFkkCpQZ^[email protected])xZ0#Euvastating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters did not support same-sex marriage.
Despite the referendum result, parliament in May finally legalized same-sex marriage in line with [email protected]^yGsLAGeZV0u16TJhsa 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.
This year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight against preju[email protected]=+U2to$nAajyZZP^%*X6kC2s2+C=w1VSnK_jB8D5g0H$dice and stereotyping of LGBT people.
