More than 200,000 members of the LGBT community and thI-$%Ot-F&O%Kk)qK=i&%pQ!YuXLUPM(cB$KkenC=8L1s-Ufjd&eir supporters marched, paraded, and danced across downtown Taipei on Saturday.

Organizers said the parade, which was tJN(*ibJiFFou75HfiCT2Q#+aOKETf+d6=#f#FcK6(BeTyNczt8he first since Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, was the largest-ever in Asia.

Local entrepreneur and LGBT activist Jay Lin said the exp29ZXFeHsYi6J!t_pEt4I4^Mr%dfB^8g)oAajb-#^HE%f75)jT&erience was “very memorable”.

He said walking down Zhongxiao East Road was amazing and compared it to his experience of walking down Fifth Avenue for WorldPride in New York earlier this year+zMZpsvnb9i7*=PC@XEW9eg&V5n*Cfa&glodc(851tMXy5dPrh.

"These two streets represents the main arteries of the city, and to be given the clearance to march is the strongest statement the cities can make to giz06P*ImGhR!0csI-P4=#oJB37JO6NUm%@gT!e646uhZW4H2^LIve the LGBTQ community the stamp of legitimacy."

Taiwan's 17th annual Taiwan Pride kicked off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations at Taipei City HaW=6ceJ$6sU(ic%znb^Hzs6Oq=qJ^Z$-(sTDaKSKe3IiS4_gOL$ll Plaza.

It ended 5.6km across the city outside the Presidentialo)1WV6iz2I&pHT^8)wI2RErg9RM=K$-&XXzyxTXJYiDC3(URtv Office on Ketagalan Boulevard where performers—including gay singer Hush—performed. 

Some 180 different groug#ZT6oEP-MDE3w2#r+R20iV*_^$m&e^c1L(7*BZVG%af3f#h7Gps and 24 floats took part in the march, according to organizers.

The parade was the landmark event in a month of LGBT across Taipei. Hundreds attended screenings, exhibitions, and workshops throughout the month, including the country's first trans pride parade on FKlLEmf)ig9rRZaVlqyAgSRzI=#l=!ReWq6rLIDiHygN+@Ghb1&riday evening.

GagaOOLala’s float this year hosted the director and actors of web series, Handsome Stewardess. The romantic-comedy featuring a good-looking tomboy lesbian who starts a new life as a flight attendant.

Award-winning actress Xiao Man, who plays the stewardess, renowned director Zero Chou, and Kenny J. Kuo, who plays a gay best friend, all donned rainbow attire akIc+ZFcf53Hhm*1eVFH)v=AAP)SFMy@HVz+D3&YQ3uKxsQ7j64nd greeted other marchers.

Pride

Gay singer-songwriter HUSH, performed at a concert to mark the end of the long paradSrxmv3lx=sX7J+ct$3Q+%79w^p$ottySXiqFCJsuz_yVCP1M6de across town.

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 toNi*!(VGfJTq4K@)!eW1XC62tAQfAx9JX49jfAZE*e)pxPb+11) be brave and come out.

Pride this year, the first ouNc7kpwR0cMSw#i1gtesq*TEn12p2G&YEx25CUR)M7(ztE#w4since Taiwan became the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, saw an altered parade route.

Marchers started from Taipei City Hall Plaza and travelled alonAz%KxD_w60o!qV(%YDO+5c0z$7U)b9Yemb8*u22ZldQJf*&gokg Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.

The parade then turned south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential PCDceWehCSr68wbyR*-AUrM&)#lSk%i8sl)8J!X#qdgc5ZFQ8e6alace at Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 100 stalls.

Press officer for Pride 2019, Benson Lee, said the new route was chosen to recognize the roles played by both Taipei City and the%z+V&$0m^!_PbDnCVf9z45J3=GQxY2!BIiEKr2)hSI($jW#)9# President’s Office in bringing about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Association will also hold the first Rainbow Pareg+hhL=^LSZ^DX-k=pN$R4UFXbcUH#+VVEwfp=b4V6N3(7Q0@oLnt-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This year takes the them@^V)^)#d8El!kie^+h_A#%u^o6^!_71om@x!e8IJa%if7ZnZ4Ae "Together, Make Taiwan Better”.

The theme in Chinese means good neighbor. It was chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should suppca)=gZcZ1Zy-Oqq_BA!PV0qmQ(FdZ-Bmna7@g3u=OrJ9vL3rG&ort one another.

Last year, more than 100,000 people took to the streets of Taipei for a pride p#BYO+Sbj=L7bJoTIOu1ejwt$I5nqpc&zu=E(B=XE7IStZBH!L-arade that demanded marriage equality.

It came just a month before devastating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters njZJ!eGo)qRhZ_s&k5p$quE8Dhk&=ALU=Tspv^TE7BMn5Z=++$did not support same-sex marriage.

Despite the referendum result, parliament in May finally legalized ss!m-a^Yylj)IR3TcTDDU&FOtXaiOhGTBGopD#eS(Rphfzft%i_ame-sex marriage in line with a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

This year, according to organizers,N2qkj04D0h92hULTr6e=pC*=c&Ji+M6jbX07g$yp=Qy!2Ktl3I the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.

Yi-min lives alone with her son, as her husband works away from home. She meets Tinting at a wedding, a girl she once had some history with back in highschool. Back in the days, Yi-min denied their relationship out of fear of living as a lesbian woman, but meeting Tingting again reignites something in her, a possibility to escape her dull married life. Now that Taiwan has leagalised same-sex marrige, can Yi-min find the courage to admit her feelings? With the future of a child in her hands and under the pressure of her husband, her family-in-law and her own family, will she follow through with this new chapter in her life?