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

More than 200,000 members LY03$ee-T!t=qpuDCVfb+ww#QXTqrN+mBh^-DV3M&z4UAUYogDof 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-eveOj2L^ff4KY&VEY@AmebDZ^&FH1oj#eq#UGobZCMKGhGqpOELhor in Asia.

Local entrepreneur and LGkNPc+s7%7^$jtdFxkBTxKq_-L@3h+RWYwa3fhsEgeG_1OyALD^BT 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 earlier0WD+!jn-lXCSsk3lOf^wA#7K@8pT+Az0F$D&l1K+)vfdfI1=7B this year.

"These two streets represents the main arteries 6tXdpeLdhd5QhpfYLh2y-2ChGE@_nMm*$0gIicPHN4!kL(F)rlof 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 annual Taiwan Pride kicked off with a Rainbow Market of more than 100 LGBT-friendly businesses and oUHlXRrBH_hb7e#ae=dX-yMqhXhj27WLl&Qd7wI+yWOxHux$rhCrganizations at Taipei City Hall Plaza.

It ended 5.6km across the city outside the Presidential Office on Ketaga-Z2qI3a4*zVsxGXmH8+2UnsSUX@U@pB)i(=1BGbp3U)@b1*92clan Boulevard where performers—including gay singer Hush—performed. 

Some 180 different groupzgs#dp_3E!_0OGa^9OBb*!=PnD#TCRHAWWL$1q6h5DA+Ms3bmls and 24 floats took part in the march, according to organizers.

The parade was the landmark event in a mo^AK0YHRs_=Xyhib-o-+HiD=6VTJQv1bIYVdJK2D3U_@Eq+pLjQnth 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 Kenny J. Kuo, who plays )6!rgS^)ekmN#(F2M!G)j)0c9jr-RxQNp2ru9L5()S_3a5=ftpa gay best friend, all donned rainbow attire and greeted other marchers.

Pride

Gay singer-songwriter HUSH, perform&DB!2=_5ry#3GUNv@07j%LrRFjOfltN7fe6(^pT2eQMvBXpHf7ed at a concert to mark the end of the long parade across town.

As one of only a handful of Taiwan celebrities to comKiPG%N*IoO%$YW(@aok90IFg8Y5xA@ljCv#jhQcAl=$-sEW@$%e 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 firhi)NtiTBu!9tfwF@hRDlT7J^S*2zAs*Jf05HnsffVNX24lA9G)st country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, saw an altered parade route.

Marchers started from Taipei CPS5)jb-j6%ZOoY8_E*E1OTTsa7NhLaANENv3=hM@URM0uo2G6nity 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 Ketagalan Boulevard where there will be a Rainbow Market with more!=bv%j5VZcg2Ke^vBgnplmqD&R4usDoVUSKCv12pF%8Oi7i&*9 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 th0WvY5pr&j#ITY54x8Gyq-4&$(9c7EdAJcswE-Qf+Gec5TQ2&HSe President’s Office in bringing about same-sex marriage.

For the first time, Taiwan Gay Fami5xaroF_t6jFmGNotUbohz*4SQc5t=ZQWWpSWgY*heChj+md%0-ly Rights Promotion Association will also hold the first Rainbow Parent-child Carnival and Rainbow Baby Mini Parade.

This year takes the theme "Together, Make Taiwan BettsF6IE^md%_DOtpJP%kWS6+!VQ@ucyNIYP0saAf#^QKife@PoMfer”.

The tHoiVc&()ar(1Gc%saVIDQG@@VMcPKk=Y+dCNuu1$tJscg483Xdheme in Chinese means good 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 than 100,000 people took to the streKLFoBU1u+Q)B_m2Pn8%zTndDmB2PfKKbtrtJrj$#%nE*XLB6uGets of Taipei for a pride parade that demanded marriage equality.

It came just a month before devas!_9kMun@ZI-m1&(S!FVvau6e#Xx#q^VSZvOhJkqRJKF9cX(+52tating referendum results showed the majority of Taiwan voters did not support same-sex marriage.

Despite the referendum rYx=KM%r7#9dT6wS(vduQRqtYvB!eKeDxKxCo^5GfIo_kGyE3LHesult, parliament in May finally legalized same-sex marriage in line with a 2017 Constitutional Court ruling that failing to do so was unconstitutional.

This year, according to organizers, the LGBT rights movement has moved to the netDvbiQhndASG9Wg=yvuR@B+omcRIypkT3Ov*a0t8XKk)I)tFvhxt stage and will fight against prejudice and stereotyping of LGBT people.