More than 200,000 members of the LGBT community and their supporters marched, paraded, and9P)TwOtuC9@%%[email protected] danced across downtown Taipei on Saturday.

Organizers said the parade, which was the first [email protected]&3eK(X9v!6Xn3Ln&dW5Zek&fvA7LpjSCWw)Xv-%since Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, was the largest-ever in Asia.

Local entrepreneur and LGBT activist Jnb2Zi07BAhzGBt&oyEE8H-IWI7#[email protected]$*J7jv=2W7ay Lin said the experience was “very memorable”.

He said walking down v^Vnt8iAuB+6G-1DU$p-%60t8k!DN0RKnFiP0*Z4gz(I1I3uJ1Zhongxiao East Road was amazing and compared it to his experience of walking down Fifth Avenue for WorldPride in New York earlier this year.

"These two streets represents the mai!utJEBDtX2IvgLdm7+M(W!osSwbv$(dLxGyQpaG7EG3r1gIj_(n arteries of the city, and to be given the clearance to march is the strongest statement the cities can make to give the LGBTQ community the stamp of legitimacy."

Taiwan's 17th ann6T8pVmM)#5=7&Z!KHtGs(Kyc4dJ2cjj7INdJ_7GWv%XnLi8lzWual Taiwan Pride kicked off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendly businesses and organizations at Taipei City Hall Plaza.

It ended 5.6km across the city outside tlL72)ZdfP+V-PFZG)G%[email protected]#a=5*VpZ2T2YN#D1lMbj0the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard where performers—including gay singer Hush—performed. 

Some 180 diffB!BG9&qlq#F*NV%m(qV5WCMNj^k$T$XvPbYNs!GEvdAw0$BdV_erent groups and 24 floats took part in the march, according to organizers.

The parade was the landmarkT&R5t21-^+)dlGD#Y2mD4)HBckWf5i)g4flfvdw0Q#%kKv6rc6 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 Friday 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 KennyXBJFy2ZsJg&0+YGH&!3#JL96I-g5!4^NIeu=Tweg)ZP!hTJybH J. Kuo, who plays a gay best friend, all donned rainbow attire and greeted other marchers.

Pride

Gay singer-songwriter HUSH, performed at a concert to mark the end of the long parade across towsDry4rYs7aq7WGu2na)NCl^jqBA#Qwo8P11b^uwI2knT=+u#SUn.

As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebrities to c##)re8Lz8nb1g^Bm-%HQAL_&ufLlJLId%ubZliU90=F*y)p07fome 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-sex marriage, saw an altered paN_gNeWmiNjIV%qu+JeJxTj7J*Z_7PV_T7^p1QrzpOo7Pyk!p)erade route.

Marchers started from iRZ([email protected])@6qsRlc!1bwisRln_Y!dcUM*DkId^=si!C0Taipei City Hall Plaza and travelled along Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.

The parade then turned south to Renai Road before ending near the Presidential Palace at Ketaga_yX04VPfu!2f+ry#SnTBUZ([email protected]+Ad%FLcyQJkjCEd$CgIlan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more than 100 stalls.

Press officer fCMIVy#I*ky7i0Efm&Z12nnF_pwi%1$!MMtyCz3aRb*JIhFnpy8or 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 marriage.

For tu)2BzqmVx5glatrts^H1_Vaz)cx$Dn_H)[email protected]!8b!Y9^1!he first time, 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, Make Tai4(KAfIi-W#MbC4Vs!VpAO*7tx6Nm0^%[email protected]=_g4L5sawan Better”.

The theme in Chinese means good neighbor. It was cs=iy_lBK6x$I+Qo6JSXMfT#B%K8Z4xT0-j*3gyvf-c_xVfKq&Chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should support one another.

Last year, more thanK1%e=U7d*G9F4qrGl1ve-^d2Vkl2L2)0z1ZEa=uYW%4MFm8fHo 100,000 people took to the streets of Taipei for a pride parade that demanded marriage equality.

It came just a month before devastating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters did not support same-se8#IT1(7$%k0=zAW+w7Jh2m!!IX0zD6*Nolquk71hz#e_C5preWx marriage.

Despite the ref3UBbtn#2f%[email protected])cIAy*#tki-(DLXO45oR+8Berendum result, parliament in May finally legalized same-sex marriage in line with a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

eibd41seEl=VV7_dW4KO^zgIsLi0Y$U+6TCfF_qSQxQFpdkb*mThis year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.