More than 200,000 members of the LGBT community and the_gZMHAPQs(@Z=AGtbfS*hB%8OHEF+AgR)zCYmVYE8Cl(H$(Qkeir supporters marched, paraded, and danced across downtown Taipei on Saturday.

Organizers said the parade, which was the first since Taiwan legalized sq^LR^^Qk&GvBt4oL%auY_KdOAK(x_qNlL0v^1g1n*JLjaFXEI%ame-sex marriage, was the largest-ever in Asia.

Local entrepren[email protected]_yWuE([email protected]+&$ob&Ga5^tV(&=cobRsUI8!-mnteur and LGBT activist Jay Lin said the experience was “very memorable”.

He said walking down Zho9ODjsscr+wV65zOfwiHQSf_46t(Le2eWKjUA!)C_V2pNVs6K+8ngxiao 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 main arteries of the city, and to be given the clearance to march is the strongest statement the cities can make to give the LGBTQ(G4=F0M_Trrvki)2H6=t%TJUv0v8z2SF+ja2=yN_9&mtnE-Yse community the stamp of legitimacy."

Taiwan's 17th annual Taiwan Pride kicked off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendN#37qXUnDGAlQ(DMT&%(+mvbsa1=j7qD+f5(lI3N=zngf9+l8jly businesses and organizations at Taipei City Hall Plaza.

I#$OjlxGs!ueWAHI)[email protected]#!3wvK3+x0m_3t ended 5.6km across the city outside the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard where performers—including gay singer Hush—performed. 

Some 180 different groups and 24 floats took part in the march, accoUW*vx7R1wQ-IiiW_f0HZTvvJxe7+X(a2y*Dq%(=dF)[email protected]!jTFW1rding to organizers.

The parade was the landmark event in a month of LGBT across Taipei. Hundreds attended screenings, exhibitions, and workshops throughout the month, includingR!vKxoKUf+R)ro&KFyn7x5lXWBjRZq2ya=D6&*[email protected]+a 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 stewap-(cF!=1hDsXY3LN8117(NfJlWE6J#oS(!C_vGmB70=FHvbBGCrdess, renowned director Zero Chou, and Kenny 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 endGb6KCR-uXn2G9Ww8I9NLTK)AwpkX-hGmGFeSmh9x31qh7JUmtM of the long parade across town.

As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebhcJSss1tr)Lz)KFbZE3Pm1PQ$eh#GT5F2=yt$S0n+^3DVeVF25rities to come 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 As%(aXfiTs#hrDJ_gPOREuBHPbX0o5XIXOBRQ=Brj$7Cc277*sG_ia to legalize same-sex marriage, saw an altered parade route.

Marchers started from Taipei City Hall PlhFHCA0o*!!__%RADkgq5KR^^ifm+CRrTQ!iE7que_E7qZ6YtmSaza and travelled along Yixian Road to Zhongxia East Road.

The parade then turned south to Renai Road befo_rj=o2qvdKXOE6Q%3%#cc*[email protected](a+QdmaCre ending near the Presidential Palace 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 President’s Office eMpLGLqz*mhK)s9OA_dj-e6*wyd#[email protected]@in bringing about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Association willBM6zmFJ_f5SGW3JNd2F7FNX5^^[email protected]$p6CFCLs2*35U=OQEd also hold the first Rainbow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This year takes the f!J_^^EWVsoo5leXRxo9vsQDZAOyWYn!11jk)lUQ51u95-mtGKtheme "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 goodu6xAYC6Vl2cjF+HrJB4i+oZVGH!9i(oG%re+uH#6uO8GEV%7%P neighbors, everyone should support one another.

Last year, more than 100,000 people took to th(w+4mHYLl(Ks$NjhgHkGDnPmR$Cr#mIlD(bDMj+Abdyi%[email protected]!e 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 voteYH1YZeF7bG7yTGR3DYh2oRY_yb59H*c7lwWcO&tN&ki*L$V6^hrs 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 rulugqy+=hFG=q)G=vSst6vFSkoKZRKD=+bxMc6=K!DwKERHss&1wing that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

TgpJstvhl#T*advIID=n&5RI_Yzb5L#Dn8yB^#gDp*c2)(g#gy*his year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.

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