More than 200,000 throng Taipei's streets for the largest-ever pride

More than 200,000 members ofXzDiduW+3^Eqk@YZo4DnC23TUMMVcDH)@dniEzuHxxwmR#NjxH the LGBT community and their supporters marched, paraded, and danced across downtown Taipei on Saturday.

Organizers said the parade, which was the first since Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage, was the largest-evLZGoL(FLFTs$!1AMA0t!GMrVcRWHmUN1K^@rI_6nr9H+AcWMZHer in Asia.

Local entrepreneur and LGXG*3lbPwY@vsKd1Y19Ei-_o+0a!y1gBQGo8fzVGy!_riuE5broBT activist Jay Lin said the experience 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 Mo8jb#5(lT7wev=GFh1efHu3ye@#HP7zL^=fFvcrN1_=_YR)8wearlier this year.

"These two streets represents theEcp)x50aN7MAjir2@ZhVn+aDxGKnJe681gtrfv%n#d)m+$4UKp 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 community the stamp of legitimacy."

Taiwan'sNqbxhAaypK%UbC*0WH3W1P=DCpMjTbb&u^sEf6)SgQ-nHmN^MA 17th annual 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 the Presidential Office on Ketagalan Boulevard where performers—including gay singer HushR1rt0uoOO_YO!uouFTYpjCP-CPhlZttNLHsXhNgdWLeqIEsaK-—performed. 

Some 180 different groups and 24 floats took part in thenqVS7wlP6u39Rmod30dzDy344K0Cc6M6V=$ZM5h68w(WeqNFO@ 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 monsA0S#l)8ru4BSF4BtizSft@(OrwVyF4UPNx%fJiCcRa4g2Q+Suth, 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 Kenny J. Kuo, who plays a gay best friend, all do=bHjZ2$-m)!Il-6^)&*(M6Mr9S*fb77i%mZfH6sS#BM96h7@r2nned rainbow attire and greeted other marchers.

Pride

Gay singer-songwriter HUSH, performed at a concert to mark the end of t#+Gx@#yM$-d!#2vlbO%nj=D#Or450w8Gk#XC1*c8!(MoePe7U5he long parade across town.

Asm)isC_&#@lq4mtN4rb&OC5_IxT4Qe@5Bxxt8vTr$%Lc!34^dLU 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 to be brave and come out.

Pride thisJuD^42V#seWQsC!Kt&p)szK0P47p^8tnZYIR9LO9ExALK)DzFp year, the first since 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 along Yixian Road to Zhongxia Ea=VIICtiEDa_A_fsyxpR@)+X%Lz^l!dAwP70_Ww1ll5H)#@Yd2Ast Road.

The parade then turned south to ylklte7P=F*vOyHkR$RdoH!^8pN9HSTZv)8Ucg&Ww=-I2fDy4mRenai Road before 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 T&Z=*6Aua3v8s4+qPlv3E7B4+B!H&snU!B_Dr$7pPqF5wVPqCeEaipei City and the President’s Office in bringing about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Family Rights Promotion Association will also hold the first Rain4k^u$kgC_NUrH_W8=RIY4-0RRxlQ2Vmp%3Vh5OH^EETuGU&O-Ubow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This year takes the theme "Together, Make Taiwan BettXN^HS=6$3y)P9pGgCiX*WFwZixiVxO)cT5vv@c20+4*he*GYAxer”.

The theme in Chinese means go^vp2YZ&_Q!BQRYm#T3V(nxD96s&Hdy)%YHp(qwKv3Qv1jpQm_3od neighbor. It was chosen to show that the LGBTQ community is everywhere in Taiwan and, like good neighbors, everyone should support one another.

Last year, more tw9Xf%0E2sUcxHb5sGs8d(R6wMKYJeFzT9lo7=leTC!axC&SqF7han 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 majorityaaXlFNqkc-JcjsjjaDe@#5gqNEQRCZG*3JCXaYCTeqfVMT3+A( of Taiwan voters 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 ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutiojKmkKX5jJxIC9LuR3ZNOk*FPMik)H5A#Qs9MzlT+*0N*rHhr$znal.

This year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moqgg-Vrfc#yhewB%R+Yt=8IXQkop3CMCG7zAo9E9M+W-f5L2)Evved to the next stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.