Letters | What Taiwan pride parade can teach Hong Kong about things that are good for business
- Hong Kong should look at the crowd Taipei’s pride march attracted and consider the benefits such events could bring
In the parade, participants wore colourful costumes and accessories. Hawkers sold parade props and accessories. Artists and photographers performed their acts and sold their artworks. Visitors came from other parts of Taiwan, mainland China and all around the world, and spent money on accommodation, food, drinks and shopping. Small, medium and large enterprises benefited from the festive event.
It is worth noting that the Taiwan pride parade is considered small-scale in comparison to its foreign counterparts. For instance, the number of attendees in the New York City Pride March reached a record 2.5 million in 2016.
The economic potential of pride parades or similar LGBT-focused activities cannot be ignored. Today, not everyone celebrating Christmas is a Christian. By the same token, a pride parade is not necessarily an event exclusive to the sexual minorities. Every one of us, regardless of our sexual orientation, can take part in it. It can become a festival that is lucrative for traders and the tourism industry, which may then attract more supporters from different political leanings.
Some may criticise that idea, saying we should not turn a human rights event into a business. Think about Black Friday sales, Christmas sales and the Lunar New Year Fair. All of these festive events have become a part of all of our lives, regardless of our orientation. Why can’t the pride parade be the same?