Sino FileTaipei backs gay rights – how long before Beijing follows?
Taiwan may soon be the first place in Asia where same-sex couples can get married
The island’s Constitutional Court ruled on May 24 that laws limiting marriage to heterosexuals violated the constitution.
While Asian governments are making inroads for marriage equality, none have gone as far as Taiwan. The island has pioneered a large annual gay pride parade and its textbooks praise equality. Its first elected, non-dynastic female leader, Tsai Ing-wen, won election in 2016 on a gay friendly platform and since then has appointed liberal judges to the top court.
After decades of debate, the United Nations concluded that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) rights were universal human rights. Members of the LGBT community do not claim any “special” or “additional rights”; rather, they seek the same rights afforded to heterosexuals.
Equal marriage laws are on the books in 23 countries – mostly those of free democracies in Europe and North America – but not in Asia. One of the prevailing arguments against LGBT rights is that they are a Western concept incompatible with this region’s culture and values. Taiwan’s court ruling came just two days after a decision by the Hong Kong High Court in favour of a gay civil servant fighting for spousal benefits for his partner, whom he legally married overseas. The development might pave the way for the territory to legalise same-sex marriage.