Life / Oct. 14, 2019
Hundreds of the region’s LGBT mJhuvKK2+KFUjtBKOGGc1o7%74IERfDlwXcbU#8!3$DLjF^eLr%overs and shakers will kick off Taiwan’s massive pride weekend at a unique party in downtown Taipei.
The GALA BFF GALA event on 25 October at Xinyi Woolloomooloo is the perfect warm-up for Asia’s largest pride parade, expected to attract 200,000 ma+Be8&F@!zXI)C__Rmy6f6h1ZZSf(+8mVEY%2XMCNT6thqX!vcKrchers.
The party will include screenings of the latest original productions from LGBT-streaminzI#H)ilq^t5jhLhhx@T^(X@G+ynBO#&v*Bn9khnNXs1d$S7MxCg 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 Celebration & Pride” said cFlPcrP3fPohAU#&YMLu^)l+1I(%CderK%(_S0uFG$-m9laVzbko-creator of the GALA BFF group of LGBT professionals, Jay Lin.
GALA BFF creates a place for socializing and connecting for the region’s LGBT people wm&C#qtH=SAeqM&4!CsK&gR&W+hHW(7ce$L3GWQ@YfrpxgYhs7off the dance floor. The group holds monthly get-togethers, networking events, screenings, and talks.
"I am proud to say that indeed after six years, the group is over a thousand strong and increasingly internationalized wZFtq+1bGR$P-w*rAdiHR6$@rPI9DExqBQIje1un$QcToiz&nQLith connections that are formed online as well as off-line” Lin said.
Tickets are $600 if purchased before 20 October and $750 after. Buy tickets or find out more here.
Pride
Organizers of the 17th annual Taiwan LGBT Pride parade expect more than 200,000—a record number—at the pride parade scheduled to t=E$OqiIT&N4m^uYb4O6TrM#+v%cDCRvAqzXwG+UOv*!sVRXVg7ake place on 26 October.
The p%B98Yv&_iuASRR1eghwOeDCN)8V-2Qy7wYQ!wyv2yRYaHoi^iNride will be held just five months after Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriages.
Gay singer-songwriNpTBcUULS%2v&d2g&-n&_h_peWmCbVwK!G7DFuq1wqr)W8wpKOter HUSH will be an ambassador for the landmark event.
As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebrities to come out publicly, HUSH, whose real name is Chen Jia-Wei, on Friday urged LGBT Taiwanese to be brave VHE2j%JL^dgsJ7X45-JvWpNvm4=B-&N+pmmE7-M*@4x-EHt3L5and come out.
Pride this year, the first since Taiwan became the first country iniCiawA-0cs@kt9zNTh!PSmUVOLnB9dc9r@)686GD#QY$A2xEG1 Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, sees an altered parade route.
Marchers will start from Taipei City Hall Plaza and travel a+%8aW3pnL8LWS-KjYgQ03&$q%qy6u!%ZERhk4+4RKTnA#JBbXjlong Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.
The parade will then turn j0x3!2qJxZmGA@%OFI1wC9Tvi72e8JZv8XH&VwW2fk-M186WF6south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential Palace at Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 100 stalls.
HUSH will also perform at Ketagalan Boulevard.
Press officer for Pride 2019, 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 marAPvJ1lH8W%z4c%zPMNbOcRhD42cq^H8orxO5dYdjUF5TD9_dmjriage.
For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Associ5nj0#0bG!uIpJC2fl^C-Z4F1CUOg+59x4jfTA+$rAcpC)B5N)-ation will also hold the first Rainbow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.
This year takGR)O*Vi*9K+3%1Iz!00Tf+OItW9o8y_Qx-teSyJ2cb5z@1E-mDes the theme "Together, Make Taiwan Better”.
The theme in Chinese means good neighbor. It wmVmvb!JV4Jz1ro)2-@wV6+dZ99Ow1Aa2vc3&W@HF*wbbyO3u9kas chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should support one another.
Last year, more than 100,000 peF@zvdL)ba!TH_^agk19$cHr*tnvZ)&m@PRk_%C^0Gi*&Rajs+5ople took to the streets of Taipei for a pride parade that demanded marriage equality.
It came just a month before devastating referendum results showed thc_ujElPC3Q+nG8WQNd==YrEAPH-FejWO4dwaGeouY2F&hcOeYxe 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 a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstituU+up+#e0CHu-$ks(MtmpXkPK0fA+fBH-n3SrTxk3mar_XS)k)htional.
This year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movyW_7gKxJWQYYZwrmqGV@PTVCzUhF3j6l^#TPppwBlc4J$#%bIOement has moved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.
