News / Aug. 13, 2019
Taiwan’s renowned LGBTI acti77g+Gl6Skd0+R84$49LCiQ9EGenCBfx(UmIE#dRG-^#B*AMJ-2vist Chi Chia-wei has launched a campaign to encourage regional leaders to legalize same-sex marriage.
Chi Chia-wei will give a replica of the pen president Tsai Ing-wen used to sign Taiwan’s2n$Ycgk7j3#bQldGiH%35+kgbf5AKSQ@LK4St%rKnhNBpaP71W historic legislation in May this year.
Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalib_AfCu^rYvfc5t_bJSfdZCiRH9Kr$9(ZFrd=wK3Z#O$qU-%Yizze same-sex marriage on 24 May after parliament passed a bill in line with a 2017 court ruling.
President Tsai gifted Chi Chia-wei the pen she used to sign the bill to recognize his decades oB4IajUW30R$asPXkOvOjBei!AhiqCZ_aL$&lCaD6C3mtp7K6&(f campaigning for LGBTI rights.
Now, Chi Chia-wei and the hasH-%Tek829xd)TcgJ*3X0WOJKYf+jF=sZ6tMB5wb3Cd-)axUMBK created six replicas and named them the ‘pen of equality’.
Chi Chia-Wei will gift the Pen of EqualityHQ&DCYNM=siD-NcgbpxGJci+f6bs(dy3%+0-oxG4Q1%4BVKiR$ to Korea, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam.
"My name is Chi Chia-wei and Knd9ORLU3*K6JJS(+9z$T(umDPr&^_QZW_X660a7gXJ)LUgusII have been committed to promoting same-sex marriage in Taiwan for the last 30 years" his message to South Korea’s leader Moon Jae-in.
"I am presenting this to you in the hope that you will sharee7tgAymlgyKZd9vcDeHQ2Ri2KKpKuP7pPz0=frtLEhGN-LV)@U in our ambition for marriage equality."
"We hope Taiwan’s progress in same-sex marriage can inspire other countries in AsiaI_@00GE#=sp#COWqo1+FTaXO00clLUYpFa1GjDfUl5xQFmo5B+" Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said in a Facebook post.
Regional rights
After years of court hearings, debates in parliament, and heartbreaZSP==OG!KzW4Oj7$+UHz$XZNn#L=IDY$2hGvA4P_VH&k^DNQNIking referendums in November last year, Taiwan became the first country in Asia to recognize same-sex marriages.
In the first month alone. IB1S5fJLE8LVSjr@7Hh@fikC=!qY+rUH(Bd9XW^63AFG@^2tW$1,000 same-sex couples tied the knot.
Regionally, Thailand is the closest to equal marriage. A civil union bill drafted by the ruling Junta affords same-sex couplesCt2NT-ceu(@70)r&_E0@lle15=o2kQ!hUhQa*s%F0Z3ODf)792 limited rights. But, local LGBTI rights activists have slammed it for failing to introduce genuine equality.
A similar!4OJTsbnVZX8UmnPR*VTG*(3!fLMb^H*-XgjaA*GW%&YUcYEWQ ‘civil partnerships’ bill is being debated by the Philippines’ Congress.
Rights groups, meanwhile, have warned of deteriorating LGBT rights in South KorKxodyPiC2WID(*6FaA-)FPq)5Jd8*j&4FHU3ZV@kTk$tVmc)6Bea.
Recent increased visibility of the LGBT community has sparked a backlash from conservative Christians. Many LGBT pride events have witnessed g_gDfNMiMNgZ)QtFI=s*KQn%8I6McFUqxcC*zYZCO@0SWaZ!*Cviolent counter-demonstrations from anti-LGBT groups.
