TEL$$e_vldRa6L#p(v2J@4l4Dba(ABPycFdpR$zX5fbtm6Yzcnwaiwan’s renowned LGBTI activist Chi Chia-wei has launched a campaign to encourage regional leaders to legalize same-sex marriage.

Chi Chia-wei will give a replica of the pen presidentueliF_3n%OAz9FkwPyoDW5JvhSrAMS&rem(yu+2Wn-=zKb$xks Tsai Ing-wen used to sign Taiwan’s historic legislation in May this year.

Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passed a bill in line with a 2017 court ruliMDzGW52gVBK#rC%+Aj+XH8X02@JfQpNs(MaA)_wOCX(6GpQD(Kng.

President Tsai gifted Chi Chia-wei th7W=4)vzTd)e+3nxZ4VJ&xK2%qTRj1)8Pev0KpP$LdMZE(qDzuPe pen she used to sign the bill to recognize his decades of campaigning for LGBTI rights.

Now, Chi Chia-wei and the has created six replicas and@krikxz9%rSwfPIw!+=4q5=I!rUIjJpBrrFQlp3oq-dhLO2sh& named them the ‘pen of equality’.

Chi Chia-Wei will gift the Pen z)@8nPa6k$ZXfWOBH^S@ouM0E_4E=vS1xljly6bIrHfrsO1HgBof Equality to Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.

"My name is Chi Chia-wei and I have been committed to promoting same-sex marriage in Taiwan f(aL_GaVcv&8@MISmoNE1TV0XqBJaJXfmo=y@VeQ43AclCyFH$Mor the last 30 years" his message to South Korea’s leader Moon Jae-in.

"I am presenting this to you in the hope that you will share in our ambition for marriage eqm$zvhF%paM6vgLVpbFA_pmlZxMX9H$s@=0FY$9kJ-t27G^^YKfuality."

"We hope Taiwan’s progress in Lhd&!qFYR@ubnIY5y!Q^(K-o0^LoZvAO)RhkNS1e^kfITJ#AIAsame-sex marriage can inspire other countries in Asia" Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said in a Facebook post.

Regional rights

After years of court hearings, debates in parliament, and heartbreaking referendiIywWvGBTutu(hkyhFQVxb^+rn1dQ0!kmht4#Oa!6#de)ozB8nums in November last year, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriages.

In the firs=hG^vLshm_FKzs4Poq6$@8RV=M3U8AF(_v+%gfJqIwIsxTE75tt month alone. 1,000 same-sex couples tied the knot.

Regionally, Thailand is the closest to equal marriage. A civil union bill drafted by the ruling Junta affords same-sex couples limited rights. But, local LGBTI rights activists have slaJoBlyuUKMHtOe7RXUqXpq3=(-EVy=mE=ayp0g*E23c1sgOzp3(mmed it for failing to introduce genuine equality.

A similar ‘civil partnerCjk1pO!NIO%Y0=jUVgXWHYNDH29Ry*nVaxuNsv@o12h7-3rG1Qships’ bill is being debated by the Philippines’ Congress.

Rights groups, meaxfyXHXLv%+Yo9wkGFQNH7INA9D92ySlWDk9Vlp-zaVmCc=uE0anwhile, have warned of deteriorating LGBT rights in South Korea. 

Recent increased visibility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservativt9^b_i_zThM%KVvz!+JvZi_AJk(SbUM^GTQqCR=tVa#rs%H@tve Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed violent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.