Taiwan revels in first pride parade since legalizing gay marriage

TAIPEI - Some two hundred thousand revelers marched through Taipei in a riot of rainbow colors and celebration on Saturday as Taiwan held its first pride parade since making history in Asia by legalizing gay marriage.

The island has long hosted the region's largest pride marches but this year Taiwan's LGBT community and their supporters had an extra reason to celebrate.

In May, lawmakers took the unprecedented decision to legalize same-sex marriages, becoming the first place in Asia to do so.

Over 2,000 couples have since wed, many of them taking part in Saturday's festival.

"I am very excited because it's the first pride parade after same-sex marriages are recognized and I got married," said Shane Lin, who became one of the first to wed his partner in the days after the new law came in.

"I am very moved that people around the world are joining us," the 31-year-old said.

Behind him passed a stready stream of color, from dancers with gym-honed bodies to unicorn floats and rainbow balloon arches.

"I support marriage equality because it is a basic human right," Henry Wu, a heterosexual teacher who brought his five-year-old son to the march, told AFP.

"Taiwan made huge progress in legalizing same-sex marriages ... I feel very proud we are the first in Asia to do so," he added.

In the last decade, Taiwan has become increasingly progressive on gay rights with Taipei home to a thriving LGBT community and increasingly large pride marches.

Organizers estimated more than 200,000 people attended Saturday's festivities.

But the issue of same-sex equality has deeply polarized society.


[BOLD] Landmark ruling, conservative backlash

Taiwan's Constitutional Court made a landmark ruling in 2017 to legalize gay marriage and ruled its decision must be implemented within two years.

Conservative and religious groups mobilized to oppose amending the Civil Code and comfortably won a series of referendums last November in which voters rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman.

In May, conservative lawmakers put forward rival bills that offered something closer to limited same-sex unions but those measures ultimately failed in parliament.

Opponents have vowed to punish incumbent President Tsai Ing-wen and the lawmakers who supported the gay marriage law at January 11 elections when voters will elect both a new president and a new parliament.

But it remains to be seen whether the issue will harm her on the campaign trail, especially in more rural and conservative places, during an election that will more likely be dominated by the relationship with China and local economic issues.

Taiwan's gay marriage law still contains restrictions not faced by heterosexual couples.

Same-sex couples can currently only adopt their partners' biological children and can only wed foreigners from countries where gay marriage is also recognized.

"Marriage equality is the beginning, it's not the end," said Leong Chin-fai, a 31-year-old Macanese national who is currently unable to wed his Taiwanese partner.

"We hope to keep pushing for issues including recognition of international marriages, parental and adoption rights," he added.

Taiwan is at the vanguard of the burgeoning gay rights movement in Asia. It is also praised as a "beacon" of democracy in the region for its democratic reforms and civil liberties since it emerged from one of the world's longest periods of martial law.

But International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) noted Taiwan still faces key challenges and passed a motion condemning its use of death penalty Friday as it wrapped up a week-long congress in Taipei, its first held in Asia.

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Gay marriage legal in 28 countries

PARIS - The first-ever gay civil unions in Denmark 30 years ago paved the way for full same-sex marriages that are today allowed in 28 countries, even though homosexuality remains illegal in some parts of the world.

Here is an overview.

Europe, gay marriage pioneers

On October 1, 1989, for the first time in the world, several gay couples in Denmark tied the knot in legal civil unions.

Danish homosexual couples would however have to wait until 2012 to be allowed to marry in church.

The right to a religious marriage ceremony was first allowed in The Netherlands in 2001.

Thirteen European countries followed: Belgium, Britain (although not Northern Ireland), Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

Austria allowed gay marriage from 2019.

Some countries allow only gay civil partnerships including Croatia, Cyprus, The Czech Republic, Greece, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland.

The Czech government has backed draft legislation that would make the country the first post-communist member of the European Union to legalize same-sex marriage, but its fate is uncertain.

Slovenia also allows civil partnerships but in 2015 rejected in a referendum a proposal to legalize gay marriage.

In 2014 Estonia became the first former Soviet republic to authorize same-sex civil unions.

In Romania a referendum aimed at enshrining a ban on gay marriage in the constitution failed in 2018 because of a low turnout.

Progress in the Americas

Canada was the first American country to authorize same-sex marriage in 2005.

In 2015 the US Supreme Court legalized gay marriage nationwide at a time it was banned in 14 out of 50 states.

The United States' first gay marriage had actually taken place in 1971, when a Minnesota couple obtained a marriage licence thanks to an overlooked legal loophole. The marriage was officially recognized in March 2019, after a five-decade legal battle.

In Latin America five countries allow same-sex marriages: Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Uruguay, joined by Ecuador in June 2019.

Mexico's federal capital authorized gay civil unions in 2007 and marriages in 2009. Half of its 32 states have followed.

Chile legalized gay civil unions in 2015.

Costa Rica's Supreme Court in 2018 ruled that a ban on same-sex marriages was unconstitutional and gave parliament 18 months to amend the laws.

Cuba left out of its new constitution adopted in February 2019 changes that would have paved the way for legal same-sex marriage. The definition of marriage will be left to a new Family Code which will be put to a referendum.

Taiwan, first in Asia

While much of Asia is tolerant of homosexuality, Taiwan became in May 2019 the first in the region to allow gay marriage.

In the Middle East, where homosexuality is repressed, Israel leads the way in terms of gay rights, recognizing same-sex marriages that are performed elsewhere although not allowing such unions in the country itself.

Several countries in the conservative region still have the death penalty for homosexuality, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Australia (2017) and New Zealand (2013) are the only places in the wider Asia-Pacific region to have passed gay marriage laws.

Africa: marriage in one country

South Africa is the sole nation on the African continent to allow gay marriage, which it legalized in 2006.

Around 30 African countries ban homosexuality, with Mauritania, Somalia and Sudan having the death penalty for same-sex relations.

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Abused as 'dirty', same-sex newlyweds in Taiwan fear backlash

ZHONGLI, Taiwan - Although Jovi Wu and Mindy Chiu made history last month as one of the first lesbian couples in Asia to marry legally, they are fearful that conservatives may reverse Taiwan's landmark law.

The businesswomen and their six-year-old daughter, Allison, were verbally abused when they demonstrated in support of same-sex marriage last year, ahead of a referendum that came after the top court set a two-year deadline for legalization.

One woman took a leaflet from Allison, looked at it, threw it on the ground and then called their family "sickening and dirty", 36-year-old Chiu said from her home in a suburb of Zhongli district, an hour's drive from Taiwan's capital, Taipei.

"(I asked her) do you have to say this in front of a child - that we are sickening, we are dirty? What we are trying to say is that we're just the same, like you," she told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Hundreds of same-sex couples married on May 24 after President Tsai Ing-wen signed into law a bill endorsing same-sex marriage - a controversial move which has divided the self-ruled island, seen as a beacon of liberalism in Asia.

Although two-thirds of Taiwanese voters - some 7 million people - rejected the proposed reform in the November referendum, parliament passed a law legalizing gay marriage to beat the constitutional court deadline of May 24.

Far from signalling a shift towards broader acceptance of homosexuality, the couple fear the legal victory will spark a backlash from conservatives who believe marriage should remain between a man and a woman.

"It will be messy at the start," said 38-year-old Wu, who gave birth through in vitro fertilisation (IVF) in Thailand - using an egg from her former partner and a sperm donor - as Taiwan does not allow surrogacy.

"Anti-homosexual groups will continue to argue how can we enjoy the same rights? How can we change Taiwan's traditions and values? They will intensify their smear campaign and continue to hurt us."

FAMILY VALUES

Wu's concerns highlight how socially conservative attitudes prevail across much of Asia, five decades after the Stonewall riots in the United States that are widely regarded as the birth of the LGBT+ rights movement.

The Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation, one group seeking to overturn Taiwan's gay marriage law, said the public will "strike back" as it mobilized support to vote against Tsai in January elections, when she seeks a second term.

"If we can oust these legislators who supported same-sex marriage, there is a likelihood for change after 2020," said the group's president Tseng Hsien-ying.

"The only type of marriage people in Taiwan can accept is between a man and a woman. This (same-sex union) is destroying the institution of marriage and distorting our family values."

Growing up in an abusive family in Taiwan's rural west, repeatedly beaten up by her father, Wu wanted to give her own daughter the best she could.

Wu remembered her classmates called her a "tomboy", and her father pledged to "break her legs" and disown her when she started liking girls.

Estranged from her parents, Wu left her hometown for university in Taipei, where she joined lesbian clubs and eventually came out as gay.

When searching for a school for her daughter, Wu said many were simply not ready to accept same-sex parents – until the couple found one which had already hired gay teachers.

Still, Wu said, her daughter had to deal with questions at school about why she has two mothers, and called on the government to prioritise anti-discrimination legislation and overhaul its education system to champion LGBT+ rights.

"If the education ministry is not prepared, when these children go to school they will face intense pressure," she said. "How can they be treated equally and not be bullied?"

The lobby group Taiwan LGBT Family Rights Advocacy estimates about 300 same-sex families with children live on the self-ruled island, which China considers as its wayward province.

"It won't be an overnight change," said the group's spokeswoman Reese Li, adding that conservative groups are ramping up their smear campaign, including linking same-sex marriage to a potential rise in HIV cases.

"It will take time but once they see same-sex couples and families are no different than the others, they will accept it."

Two years ago, Wu and Chiu started a book club for children in their neighbourhood in an effort to spur discussions on equal rights for gay people and women, through story telling.

"People think we (same-sex families) don't exist, they accuse us of stealing our child from somewhere else," said Chiu, adding that her parents are still reluctant to accept her relationship with Wu, who she has lived with for four years.

"We never grew up with a lot of information about LGBT+ so we always felt we were different because other people are heterosexual."

Wu said she hoped their book club would go a small way in fighting the social stigma toward same-sex families.

"What I am trying to do through the book club is to let children know every family is equal," she said.

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We do: Taiwan's gay newlyweds urge Asia to follow their lead

TAIPEI -- As they celebrated tying the knot at an outdoor party, many of the first same-sex couples to marry in Taiwan on Friday urged Asian governments to follow their island's lead.

Taiwan's decision to legalize same-sex marriage was not without controversy and came after three decades of campaigning by activists against staunch conservative opposition.

It places the island at the forefront of the gay rights movement in Asia, a continent home to 60 percent of the world's population but where the battle for marriage equality has struggled.

"I think this will have a ripple effect and influence other Asian countries, they will see that this is feasible, that it can be done in Taiwan," Chen Xue, a writer who married her long-term partner on Friday, told AFP in a Taipei park where newlyweds and their supporters had gathered to celebrate.

"Even though there might be some unease in the short term, in the long term it will have positive influences on society," she added. "We are definitely setting up a positive example for other Asian countries."

Taiwan now finds itself among a handful of liberal democracies to have granted equal marriage rights.

Until last week only 26 nations had legalized same-sex marriage, sixteen in Europe, followed by seven in the Americas as well as South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

Twelve others have passed some form of civil union laws, while Israel recognizes foreign same-sex marriages.

'ASIAN VALUES'

But in Asia, Taiwan currently stands alone.

Religious and conservative values remain entrenched in countries such as India, Indonesia and Malaysia. 

In East Asia many conservative groups have pushed the idea that same-sex relationships clash with so-called traditional Asian or Chinese "values".

In China, communist authorities only removed homosexuality from a list of mental disorders in 2001 and the LGBT community faces routine discrimination. Gay rights groups have made little progress on marriage in Hong Kong and Singapore. 

Many of those getting married in Taipei said Friday's weddings offered a vivid counter to the argument that gay rights had no place in the region.

"I want to tell people in other parts (of Asia) don't give up and keep on fighting," said Huan, a local celebrity YouTuber who goes by one name, and who married her partner on Friday. "The victory will come in the end."

Lin Meng-huan, a 32-year-old screenwriter, married his partner Chou Chung-peng, an actor. 

"I hope that Taiwan is the beginning of gay rights movement in Asia, not the end, and everybody has to keep fighting," said Lin. 

"I didn't expect Taiwan would be the first in Asia," added Chou. "I hope this love can gradually expand to drive other marriage equality movements in Asia."

Taiwan's breakthrough came in 2017 when the island's top court ruled that denying same-sex couples the same marriage rights as heterosexuals breached the constitution.

The court gave politicians two years to change the law with parliament only just making the deadline.

But popular opinion remains wary. 

In November conservative and religious lobbies won a series of referendums, with a large majority of voters opposed to granting marriage rights to same-sex couples.

Taiwan's current President Tsai Ing-wen and her ruling party members may find themselves punished at the ballot box next January for supporting the law changes.

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Taiwan parliament approves same-sex marriage

Same-sex marriage supporters carrying signs that read “Vote Can’t Be Defeated” gather outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei, Taiwan on Friday. In a landmark first for Asia, Taiwan's parliament has legalized same-sex marriage following a vote on Friday, the same day that the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia is celebrated.

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Taiwan parliament to vote on Asia's first same-sex marriage bill

TAIPEI - Taiwan's parliament began debating Asia's first gay marriage law on Friday as conservative lawmakers launched a last-ditch attempt to scupper the most progressive bill in favor of a watered-down "civil-union" law. 

Hundreds of gay rights supporters gathered despite heavy rain near Taipei's parliament as a mammoth legislative debate got under way over an issue that has bitterly divided the island.

Parliament is up against a ticking clock.

Taiwan's top court has ruled that not allowing same-sex couples to marry violates the constitution. Judges gave the government until May 24 this year to make the changes or see marriage equality enacted automatically. But they gave no guidance on how to do that.

With that deadline fast approaching, three bills have been tabled for Friday's vote -- which also happens to be the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia.

The most progressive is the government's bill, the only one to use the word "marriage" and to offer limited adoption rights. 

It is backed -- begrudgingly -- by gay rights groups who see it as the closest thing to full equality with heterosexual couples, despite its limitations.

Opponents have tabled two other versions which avoid the word marriage, offering something closer to same-sex unions with no adoption rights.

Conservative and religious groups have been buoyed by a series of referendum wins in November, in which voters comprehensively rejected defining marriage as anything other than a union between a man and a woman. 

FAMILIES DIVIDED

In a Facebook post President Tsai Ing-wen said she recognized the issue had divided "families, generations and even inside religious groups". 

But she said the government's bill was the only one that respects both the court judgement and the referendum.

"Today, we have a chance to make history and show the world that progressive values can take root in an East Asian society," she added in a tweet.

Tsai's ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) holds the majority in parliament, occupying 68 out of 113 seats.

But there is no guarantee her own lawmakers will vote for the more progressive bill, especially as many fear being punished by conservative voters at the ballot box in January.

One of the rival bills was proposed by a DPP lawmaker. And a last-minute amended version of the government's bill has been tabled by fellow lawmakers in the party, dropping the phrase "same-sex marriage".

However, it still lets same-sex couples join an "exclusive permanent union" and apply for a "marriage registration" with government agencies.

LGBT COMMUNITY IN LIMBO

Taiwan's LGBT community has been left in limbo the last two years, with many couples planning weddings ahead of the May 24th deadline but unsure of what marriage equality will look like.

"The world is watching to see if Taiwan's parliament will write a new page in gender equality or deal another blow to Taiwan's hard-fought democracy, human rights and the rule of law," said Jennifer Lu, a spokeswoman for Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.

"For the gay communities what matters the most is whether we can legally get married on May 24 and be listed as the spouse in ID cards, to be treated and respected as the 'spouse' in the whole legal system ... and whether same-sex families can obtain legal parental rights for their children."

Cindy Su was one of thousands of gay marriage supporters gathered outside parliament on Friday ahead of the debate. 

"We are just a group of people who want to live well on this land and who love each other," she told the crowd.

But opponents warn that "forcefully" passing a gay marriage law will intensify tensions.

"The cabinet's bill ignores the referendum results and that is unacceptable," said Lai Shyh-bao of the opposition Kuomintang party, who proposed one of the bills backed by conservatives.

aw/jta/ecl

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Japan gay couples seek marriage rights in Valentine's lawsuit

TOKYO - Chizuka Oe and Yoko Ogawa have been together for 25 years, but when they submitted their marriage registration at a Tokyo town hall, they knew it would be rejected.

"We were told that they cannot accept our registration because we are both women," said Ogawa, standing in the winter sun outside the building in Nakano in western Tokyo.

"There were several heterosexual couples next to us who submitted marriage registrations without any problem," she added.

The couple is now planning to take action: Along with 12 other same-sex couples, they will file lawsuits on Valentine's Day seeking to force the government to recognize gay marriage.

"Why don't we even have the simple choice of whether or not to get married?" asked Ogawa, who said she and Oe were forced to wait a long time before ultimately being turned down.

The 5 lesbian and 8 gay couples involved will file lawsuits across the country seeking damages of one million yen ($9000) a person for being denied the same legal rights as heterosexual couples.

Japan's constitution stipulates that "marriage shall be only with the mutual consent of both sexes" and the government says this means same-sex marriage is "not foreseen" in the constitution or civil law.

But lawyers for the plaintiffs and other legal experts counter that there is nothing in the constitution that would prohibit same-sex marriage.

They argue the language of the 1947 post-war constitution is only meant to ensure equality between prospective spouses and prevent forced marriages.

The government's failure to enact a law allowing same-sex marriage violates the constitutional principle that "all people are equal under the law," said Akiyoshi Miwa, who is representing some of the plaintiffs.

'AGONIZING' SITUATIONS 


A survey in January found nearly 80 percent of Japanese aged 20 to 59 support legalizing gay marriage.

Japan is the only nation from the Group of Seven countries that does not recognize same-sex unions.

Historically, Japan was broadly tolerant of homosexuality, with documented cases of samurai warriors during feudal times having male lovers.

Same-sex relationships were even depicted in traditional art, such as ukiyoe, or wood block prints.

But as Japan industrialized and modernized from the late 19th century, Western prejudices against homosexuality were increasingly adopted.

Last year, the ruling party came under fire after one of its lawmakers claimed the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community was "unproductive" because they "cannot have children."

And Oe and Ogawa say they have struggled with confusion and prejudice stemming in part from Japan's lack of marriage equality.

When the couple attended the funeral for Ogawa's mother, relatives treated Oe with suspicion, particularly when she handled condolence money.

Ogawa said many relatives quizzed her on who Oe was.

She explained: "I was tired, sad, and in such an extreme situation it was agonising to explain that we are a lesbian couple, that we are the same as a regular heterosexual couple."

"If there was a legal system of same-sex marriage, it would have been easier," she added. 

'A KEY GOAL'


In a landmark advance in 2015, Tokyo's bustling Shibuya district started issuing symbolic "partnership" certificates to same-sex couples.

Some other local governments -- including in the area where Oe and Ogawa live -- have followed suit, and corporate Japan is also showing signs of moving toward recognizing same-sex couples.

The certificate confers some rights: when Oe was hospitalized last year and needed a family member's signature, Ogawa was able to sign.

But not all gay couples in Japan live in areas with such certificates, meaning they can be prevented from visiting loved ones in hospitals or refused tenancy because their relationship is not legally recognized.

And the certificates "fail to give various legal rights and benefits that a marriage gives, such as inheritance and joint custody," said Takako Uesugi, another lawyer for the plaintiffs.

Only one partner in a same-sex couple is considered the legal parent of any children they share because gay marriages are not recognized so joint custody is considered impossible.

And a foreigner in a same-sex relationship with a Japanese partner cannot apply for spousal visas like their counterparts in heterosexual marriages.

The Valentine's Day lawsuits will seek damages, but the couples and their lawyers say they are ultimately hoping to force a change in the law.

"What we really want is a court ruling that says the failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional," said Miwa.

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Gay couples to 'live more freely' with Thai civil unions

BANGKOK -- Luke Cassady-Dorion believed marriage was for "boring" straight people until he met the man he wanted to spend the rest of his life with. But Thailand, where they live, does not permit same-sex marriage.

So the couple wed in New York.

With Thailand set to pass a landmark law that would make it the first country in Asia to legally recognize same-sex couples as civil partners, they are hopeful the largely conservative Buddhist society is on the path to recognizing their love.

"The LGBT community in Thailand has been campaigning for equal rights for a long time, and this bill is a good and important first step," said Cassady-Dorion, who co-founded a YouTube channel with Tae, or Thapanont Phithakrattanayothin.

"When you normalize same-sex relations, it helps gay people to come out and live more freely, knowing that the government recognizes your rights," said Cassady-Dorion, who is also a yoga instructor.

Thailand has built a reputation as a place with a relaxed attitude towards gender and sexual diversity since homosexuality was decriminalized in 1956, and authorities actively promote the country as an LGBT+-friendly destination.

Yet LGBT+ people face discrimination and stigma in schools, the workplace and health facilities and are often rejected by their families, say activists.

Across Asia, conservative values and deep-rooted biases have hamstrung progress on gay rights. Taiwan voters last year rejected legalizing same-sex marriage in a referendum.

While India's top court scrapped a colonial-era ban on gay sex in 2018, Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei outlaw sexual relations between men, and Indonesia has seen an increase in raids targeting LGBT+ people.

Thailand's civil partnership bill, which was approved by the Cabinet on Dec. 25, is therefore an outlier in the region, giving same-sex couples the right to register their unions, make joint medical decisions and own and inherit property.

"LGBT people in Thailand have been waiting for this for a very long time," said Vitaya Saeng-Aroon, a director at the Bangkok Rainbow Organisation.

"There are couples who have been together for 15 years, 20 years, with no recognition or legal protection; they can finally breathe more easily," he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

FAMILY

But many gay people say it does not go far enough. It does not recognize marriage between same-sex partners, or give them the right to adopt or have children as a couple.

"We want to be a family with all the rights and privileges that any family has, but this bill does not give us that," said Areeya, a transgender woman who declined to give her full name for fear of criticism.

Areeya, who is Thai, and her partner Lee, who is American, have been together for 16 years, and they have each adopted a child as single persons.

"Marriage equality is what would be really meaningful but we don't know when - or even if - that will happen. We don't feel particularly compelled to register our union without any real benefits," she said as her younger son climbed on to her lap.

Campaigners also fear they will lose public support to push for full rights once the civil partnership bill is passed.

"People may say: 'You've got this, what more do you want?'" said Wannapong Yodmuang, an activist for marriage equality.

"We have campaigned for so long for equal rights, but this bill will mean we are still treated differently and given fewer rights. We are worried that people will stop fighting, and that we will lose momentum," she said.

The bill is "unlikely" to be passed before elections scheduled for March 24, and will await the new government, said Nareeluc Pairchaiyapoom, a senior official at the justice department.

Government officials have said granting marriage equality will take longer, as it requires changing people's attitudes and amending the country's Civil Code, which deals with the rights of private persons, including family law and inheritance law.

But two-thirds of Thais have no objection to same-sex unions, a survey by the United Nations Development Program found.

Thailand's marriage law can also be changed, said independent researcher Chawinroj Terapachalaphon.

"The marriage law now says "man and woman"; they just need to change it to "person". Everything else can stay the same - it is easily done, and it would ensure equal rights for everyone," he said.

"Everyone understands what marriage is, but few people understand a civil partnership, and none of the existing laws support it. What we need is a full marriage law that is clear and easy to implement, rather than something so complex."

PARTY

Others are ready to celebrate civil partnership.

"We will probably have a nice party when we register our union after the bill is passed, and some sort of a traditional ceremony as well. It's important that we celebrate it," said Ann Baker, who lives in Bangkok with her partner Suthida.

Baker, who is half English, had considered getting married in England, but wanted to have legal status in Thailand, where they both live.

"We are hopeful that we will get full marriage rights here soon, so we can start a family," Baker said.

For everyone looking to party, Cassady-Dorion and Tae - who address LGBT+ issues in Thailand on their YouTube channel Picnicly - have plenty of tips.

Their own wedding in 2014 was a "small ceremony" in Cassady-Dorion's mother's home in Niskayuna, New York, and involved the two of them cooking big batches of pad thai and green curry for the guests.

"Our wedding was the least gay thing I have ever done: it was very normal. But there really was something magical about the moment, and having our family and friends with us as we said our vows," said Cassady-Dorion.

"Marriage should be available to anyone who wants it, and we hope that Thailand will make marriage equality a reality. This bill should only be a step towards that."

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Taiwan to enact separate law on gay marriage

TAIPEI - Taiwan will enact a separate law for same-sex unions after conservative groups won a recent referendum battle, the premier said, as LGBT activists Friday urged the government to abide by a landmark ruling to offer equal marriage rights. 

Gay rights campaigners want the existing marriage law to be amended and have said separate regulations would make them second-class citizens.

But conservative groups argue that gay marriages should not come under the current Civil Code, which defines marriage as between a man and a woman. 

Taiwan's top court last year voted to legalize gay marriage, the first place in Asia to do so. It ruled that the change should be implemented in two years but did not specify how it wanted gay marriage to be brought in. 

Premier William Lai of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) announced the plan for a separate law during a meeting with lawmakers Thursday to review the party's local election defeat last weekend. 

Some observers have said the gay marriage issue played into the results and hit a nerve in conservative southern Taiwan, the DPP's traditional stronghold, where it lost control of Kaohsiung City for the first time in 20 years.

Tsai had championed gay marriage before she was elected but has since said there needs to be more consensus in society. 

Rival referendums on same-sex unions that went alongside the local elections Saturday saw "pro-family" groups defeat pro-gay campaigners in what Amnesty International called a "bitter blow and a step backwards for human rights in Taiwan". 

A referendum on whether marriage should only be recognized as between a man and a woman in Taiwan's Civil Code won more than seven million votes, as did another calling for same-sex unions to be regulated under a separate law. 

Gay rights activists had proposed that the Civil Code should give same-sex couples equal marriage rights, but only garnered three million votes. 

"We have to respect public opinion and abide by the referendum outcome. We have to revise a law other than the Civil Code, which is (to enact) a separate law," cabinet spokesperson Kolas Yotaka told reporters, quoting the premier. 

She said the government would abide by the Constitutional Court ruling when drafting the new law. 

"As for the characteristic of the separate law and what it will be called... we will propose a bill that reflects and meets public consensus," she said. 

LGBT activists in Taiwan now fear their newly won rights under the court ruling are under threat. 

"We hope the social turmoil can come to an end soon and cause no more division and harm to any more families," rights group Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan said in a statement. 

According to the group, three gay people committed suicide after the referendum result while over a dozen have attempted suicide or self-harmed. 

It urged the cabinet to abide by the top court ruling as well as consulting gay rights group when drafting the bill. 

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Hong Kong rejects motion to consider same-sex unions

LONDON - Hong Kong's parliament rejected a motion that could have paved the way to legalizing same-sex unions on Thursday, in a region where no country allows gay or lesbian couples to marry.

The measure, which would have urged the government to consider granting "equal rights" to same-sex couples, was rejected by 27 votes to 24 on Thursday, with 6 abstentions, Hong Kong's Legislative Council said on its website.

"The government keeps avoiding studying policies for homosexual groups," the South China Morning Post, a Hong Kong newspaper, quoted gay lawmaker Raymond Chan, who proposed the motion, as saying.

"Opponents of this motion have to explain why they reject even such a small step forward."

No countries in Asia allow same-sex couples to marry or enter civil unions of any kind. Socially conservative attitudes prevail across the region, and opponents of same-sex marriage say such unions could destroy society and family institutions.

Homosexuality was decriminalized in 1991 in Hong Kong, which is more supportive of LGBT+ rights than mainland China. However, marriage is legally defined as a monogamous union between a man and a woman and same-sex marriage is not recognized.

Hong Kong said in September it would recognize overseas same-sex partnerships when granting dependent visas, a move that was supported by global banks and law firms operating in the former British colony.

Chan's motion would have urged the city's government "to study the formulation of policies for homosexual couples to enter into a union so that they can enjoy equal rights as heterosexual couples".

Lawmaker Priscilla Leung opposed Chan's motion on the grounds that Hong Kong should keep marriage between men and women and "refrain from shaking existing marriage institutions".

The self-ruled island of Taiwan, regarded as a beacon of liberalism in Asia, will on Saturday vote in a referendum on whether it should recognize same-sex marriage.

Taiwan's constitutional court said last year that same-sex couples have the right to legally marry, the first such ruling in Asia.

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Taiwan's same-sex marriage vote divides families

TAIPEI - On a sunny day in a park in Taipei, photographer Austin Haung advises a same-sex couple on how to pose for a pre-wedding photo shoot. For him, Taiwan's reputation as a beacon of liberalism in the region means a thriving business.

"Our clients are mostly same-sex couples from overseas, including Hong Kong, Singapore, China and Malaysia," said 32-year-old Haung, who hopes to turn his side job into a full-time business targeting homosexual newlyweds from across the region.

"They said Taiwan is a reassuring place to do the shoot... If they do this in their own country, they worry about being identified or people raising eyebrows," he said. (To see accompanying package, click on https://reut.rs/2Qg9k4Q)

In Asia's first such ruling, Taiwan's constitutional court declared in May last year that same-sex couples had the right to legally marry, and set a 2-year deadline for legalization.

On Saturday, Taiwan will hold a series of public votes on whether its civil law should now recognize same-sex marriage, after its election authority approved contradicting referendum petitions from both conservative and rights groups.

The issue has divided Taiwan, at family dining room tables, online and on the streets, with large-scale rallies.

Haung, who is gay, plans to vote for same-sex marriage, but his mother Zeng, in her early 60s, staunchly objects. In fact, she has rallied relatives and friends to support the opposing referendum that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

"There's no need to protect gay marriage. If so, there will be more homosexuals in society," she said. "The younger generation has their own ideas, but I disagree regardless of what they say."

Rights activists say the conservative referendum is "discriminatory" as it goes against a 2017 court ruling that current laws violate the right to freedom of marriage and equality.

The heated debate over whether to legalise same-sex marriage presents a challenge to President Tsai Ing-wen, who rights activists say has backed away from her promise of marriage equality in the run-up to elections in 2016.

The same-sex marriage votes coincides with Taiwan's mayoral and magisterial elections, a test of confidence for Tsai's government grappling with domestic reforms as well as rising pressure from China, which considers the island its own.

"I hope Tsai Ing-wen could undertake the leadership responsibility. The issue has been delayed for so long due to a lack of policy direction from the ruling party," said Jennifer Lu, co-ordinator of the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan.

"The government should protect the rights of marriage for all Taiwanese."

Taiwan's capital Taipei has a celebrated annual gay pride parade that showcases the vibrancy of its lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. The one-week celebration in October, largest in the region, contributed more than $3.3 million to the economy, according to daily Taipei Times.

LGBT-related businesses are thriving in Taiwan where liberal attitude has earned it a reputation as Asia's "gay capital".

A hub for LGBT rights activists is the Gin Gin bookshop, which was raided by police in 2003 and 500 magazines seized.

"We have fought a long fight and now have loyal customers coming to our shop at least once a year from all over the world," said Yang Pingjing, one of the bookshop's owners.

Located in an alley at the heart of Taipei with rainbow flags leading up to the staircases, the owner of a decades-old bathhouse for men said his business is now often packed and receives many customers from overseas.

"I'm not too worried about my business," said Yu Nanxian, owner of 24-hour Hans Men's Sauna. "Once a gay man, you will always be a gay man, no matter the result of the referendum."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

California court says baker can refuse order from gay couple

LOS ANGELES - A California court has recognized a pastry chef's right to refuse to sell a wedding cake to a same-sex couple, as the Supreme Court debates a similar case with weighty implications.

A court in Bakersfield, located in a conservative region of central California, ruled in a judgement Monday night that the shop owner was able to deny baking a cake specifically for a same-sex couple.

"No baker may place their wares in public display case, open their shop, and then refuse to sell because of race, religion, gender, or gender identification," the ruling said.

But "the difference here is that the cake in question is not yet baked."

The court said to make the baker "use her talents to design and create cake she has not yet conceived with the knowledge that her work will be displayed in celebration of marital union her religion forbids" would violate the US first amendment that protects free speech.

Cathy Miller, the baker in question, said she was "so joyful" upon receiving the news, according to US media.

The couple, Eileen and Mireya Rodriguez, however deny that they wanted a special-order cake. 

They said they went in August 2017 to taste cakes for their wedding and anticipated ordering a pre-existing model without special decorations.

But after they returned with other people to the bakery Miller directed them to a competitor, Gimme Some Sugar, saying she does not approve of same-sex marriages for religious reasons.

The Supreme Court is expected to render a decision later this year in a similar case involving a Colorado baker who cited his devout Christian faith in refusing to make a wedding cake for a gay couple.

The case pitting free speech, religion and artistic freedom against anti-discrimination laws is the most significant for gay rights since the high court approved same-sex marriage two years ago.

ved/mdo/mdl

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Australian lawmaker proposes to same-sex partner on floor of parliament

MELBOURNE - An Australian conservative politician on Monday proposed to his long-term partner on the floor of parliament, ahead of the expected passage of a measure for same sex couples to marry.

Australians overwhelmingly voted for same-sex marriage in a postal vote in September and a marriage equality bill that passed the senate last week is being debated in the lower house, where it is expected to pass this week.

Liberal member of parliament Tim Wilson proposed to his partner Ryan Bolger in the capital of Canberra, the two having already exchanged rings but having pledged to wait for the country to pass the legislation before they wed.

"This debate has been the soundtrack to our relationship," an emotional Wilson said to his partner, seated in parliament's public viewing area above.

"In our first speech I defined our bond by the ring that sits on both of our left hands, that they are the answer to the question we cannot ask. So there’s only one thing left to do - Ryan Patrick Bolger, will you marry me?" asked Wilson, who was formerly Australia's human rights commissioner.

Bolger nodded yes, to applause.

Both Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's Liberal-National coalition government and the main opposition Labor Party have said they aim to pass the law by Dec. 7, but any proposed amendments could stretch out that timeline.

Passage of the bill will make Australia the 26th nation to legalize same-sex marriage, a watershed for a country in which some states considered homosexual activity illegal until 1997.

"This is an issue of fundamental fairness," Turnbull said to parliament later on Monday. "A society that promotes freedom and equality under the law should accord gay men and women the right to marriage."

About 80 percent of eligible voters participated in the voluntary survey, a turnout larger than for Britain's Brexit vote and Ireland's same-sex marriage referendum.

"The message today, to every gay person in this nation, is clear," Turnbull added. "We love you, we respect you, your relationship is recognised by the Commonwealth as legitimate and honourable as anybody else's."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Celebrations spread after Australia backs same-sex marriage

Celebrations swept across Australia Wednesday as voters emphatically endorsed same-sex marriage after more than a decade of divisive debate, and political leaders immediately began moves to enshrine the historic shift in law by Christmas.

Thousands of marriage equality supporters took to parks and squares across the vast country, hugging, dancing and singing under clouds of glitter when the results of the two-month-long postal survey were announced.

Revelers wrapped in rainbow colors swarmed the entertainment districts of Sydney, Melbourne and other cities, closing streets as the party continued late into the evening.

"This means everything, this means everything," shouted one partygoer named Chris at a huge rally in Sydney, fighting back tears and hugging his partner Victor.

"It has been fantastic. I have been with my partner for 35 years and he was so joyed up that he burst into tears," added another reveller, Gerry Boller.

Almost 62% of the 12.7 million people who participated voted "yes" to the question: "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?"

Just 38.4% voted "no", according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which carried out the poll.

Irish-born Qantas Airlines chief Alan Joyce, who is openly gay and campaigned strongly for the "yes" campaign, also fought back tears as he spoke of his delight.

"I was so proud of Ireland in May 2015 when they became the first nation in the world to vote for marriage equality... But today I am even more proud of Australia, the country of my selection," he said in Sydney.

Nearly 80% of eligible voters took part in the poll, with the "yes" vote winning a majority in all of Australia's states and territories.


- 'Yes for love' -


Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a moderate conservative who backed the "yes" camp, hailed the result of the non-binding vote and vowed to pass a bill legalizing marriage equality "before Christmas".

Australians "voted yes for fairness, yes for commitment, yes for love", Turnbull said, adding that he had already been invited to "stacks" of gay weddings once the law takes hold.

"Now it is up to us, here in the Parliament of Australia... to get on with the job the Australian people have tasked us to do and get this done, this year, before Christmas."

Within hours of the vote result, Dean Smith, a Senator from Turnbull's Liberal Party who is gay, introduced a bill that would legalize gay marriage while allowing religious institutions and clergy to refuse to celebrate same-sex unions if they conflict with their beliefs.

Hardline opponents in Turnbull's party have pressed for more extensive religious protections to allow commercial service providers to reject same-sex weddings and let parents pull their children from school programs they feel undermine heterosexual traditions.

They have support notably from Muslim and some conservative Christian communities which returned a high percentage of "no" votes in the survey.

But Turnbull rejected those calls this week and he and the opposition Labor Party are expected to back a bill based on Smith's proposal with a "conscience vote" in the two houses of parliament.

"We will have a bill that will deliver on the instructions the Australian people have given us to change the law to allow same-sex couples to marry. That is our job. It is over to us now," he said.

A survey of federal politicians by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation published Tuesday found that 72 percent of House members and 69 percent of Senators would support the change to marriage laws.

Turnbull called the postal vote in the face of opposition from hardliners who refused to back a national plebiscite on the issue.

The move was opposed by proponents of same-sex marriage, who wanted direct legislative action.

They said the lengthy vote process was both a waste of money –- it cost just under 100 million Australian dollars ($76 million) -– and exposed gay people and their families to hate speech.

"No" campaigners said they would continue defending their cause.

"In a democracy, just because you win it doesn't mean you... bulldoze forward," said Senator Eric Abetz, a prominent "no" campaigner.

"Keep in mind there are 4.8 million of our fellow Australians that actually voted no... do we say they should no longer be heard? Or do we actually ask them questions as to how can their concerns be alleviated so we can move forward as a nation?"

But the solid margin for the "yes" vote and the high turnout looks to limit the influence of "no" campaigners.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Germany celebrates first gay marriages

BERLIN - Germany celebrates its first gay marriages Sunday as same-sex unions become legal after decades of struggle, but campaigners say the battle for equal rights isn't over yet.

Wedding bells will ring out in Berlin, Hamburg, Hanover and other German cities where local authorities will exceptionally open their doors on a Sunday to allow gay couple to say "I do" on the day the law comes into effect.

Bodo Mende, 60, and his partner Karl Kreile, 59, who have been together since 1979, will be the first to tie the knot in the German capital.

"It will be an emotional but also very symbolic moment," Kreile told reporters on Friday. "This shows that the state now considers us the same as other couples."

The dash to exchange vows comes three months after lawmakers voted to give Germany's roughly 94,000 same-sex couples the right to marry, following a shift in position by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Berlin mayor Michael Mueller congratulated the happy couples and described the first gay nuptials as a "historic event".

"Marriage for all is a milestone on the path to full legal and social equality," he said in a statement Friday, praising the gay and lesbian community and all those "who fought for many years" to get to this day.

Germany becomes the 15th European nation to legalise gay marriage.

The Netherlands led the way in 2000, followed piecemeal by other European neighbours including Spain, Sweden, Britain and France.

Same-sex relationships have become so normalised that polls show around 75 percent of Germans are in favour of gay marriage.

MERKEL'S CHANGE OF HEART

By extending existing law to same-sex pairs, Germany's gay couples automatically gain the same tax advantages and adoption rights as heterosexual families.

Along with Germany's Greens party, the gay and lesbian rights organisation LSVD began its battle for equal marriage rights around the year 1990.

But progress was slow and since 2001 gay couples have had to make do with a civil partnership law, broadened over the years to remove more and more gaps between gay and straight couples' rights.

The final breakthrough came quite suddenly in the end, sparked by Merkel's unexpected announcement in June that she would allow her conservative MPs to vote their conscience on the issue.

Merkel said her thinking changed after a "memorable experience" when she met a lesbian couple who lovingly care for eight foster children in her Baltic coast constituency.

Her surprise shift in position -- after 12 years of blockade by her Christian Democrats and their Bavarian allies -- was seen by some as a cynical ploy to rob her challengers of a popular cause ahead of this month's general election.

The chancellor herself voted against the bill, arguing that the German constitution still defines marriage as "the union of a man and a woman".

"I still think it was indecent to delay for so many years, and the fact that she voted no," lawmaker Johannes Kahrs, gay and lesbian affairs commissioner for the Social Democratic Party, told AFP.

June was a memorable month for gay rights in Germany, as MPs also voted to quash the convictions of thousands of men convicted under a Nazi-era law against same-sex relationships which had remained on the statute book until 1994.

But there are still an array of issues familiar across western democracies, like blood donations or access to reproductive medicine, where homosexuals can be treated differently.

And the constitution must still be amended to fully protect against discrimination over gender or sexual orientation, Kahrs insisted.

"These are all things that we'll tackle bit by bit," he said.

"The important thing is that we've pushed through the opening of marriage, and that's the signal everyone needed."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Malta says yes to same-sex marriage

VALLETTA - Malta's parliament voted Wednesday to allow same-sex couples to marry, three years after passing a law permitting civil partnerships in the overwhelmingly Catholic country.

Lawmakers gave near-unanimous approval to the bill, which represents a major step for LGBT rights on the island, which legalized divorce only in 2011 and where abortion is outlawed.

Malta, the EU's smallest nation, becomes the bloc's 15th member to legalize same-sex unions.

The vote was one of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's first actions following his election victory last month.

"It's a historic vote. This shows that our democracy and society have reached a level of maturity and we can now say that we are all equal," he said after the text was passed.

"Pledge delivered, future secured," he later tweeted.

The Catholic church was solidly opposed to the bill but gay rights activists on Wednesday hailed the result, rallying outside the premier's office in downtown Valetta.

The facade of the building was lit in rainbow colors and the slogan: "We've made history".

'WHOEVER THEY LOVE'

All but one lawmaker supported the new law, which will now open the door for same-sex couples to adopt. Previously this was possible only if one person applied rather than as a couple.

Though Malta scores relatively well in European-wide freedom indexes, society in the tiny Mediterranean island is still influenced by religion.

A major bone of contention ahead of the vote was a change in legal jargon to replace terms such as husband, wife, mother and father with more gender-neutral phrasing such as partner or parent.

On Tuesday evening, opponents of the measure held a silent vigil outside parliament, but Wednesday's vote was hailed by many commenters on social media.

"Now I'm proud to be a dad who can tell my boys that whoever they are and whoever they love, they can still call Malta home," said one Twitter user.

Since gay unions were approved in 2014, 141 couples have taken advantage of the partnerships, while 22 others who had gotten married outside the country had registered their unions.

The Netherlands was the first European country to legalize same-sex marriage, in 2001, with the most recent being Germany on June 30 after a surprising shift on the issue by Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Gay marriage has also been approved in Canada and the United States, and in four South American countries, though it remains illegal in most of Africa and Asia.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Colombia court paves way for same-sex marriage

BOGOTA, Colombia - Colombia took a major step towards legalizing same-sex marriage Thursday when the constitutional court voted on the matter, in a decision hailed by the gay community.

Six of the nine court justices dismissed a petition that wanted to deny equal marriage rights for heterosexual and homosexual couples, paving the way for the mostly Catholic country to join Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil in Latin America in blazing a trail for gay marriage.

"The way is open for marriage between people of the same sex," said a source at the court, the highest in Colombia, after months of discussion.

"It's almost a fact that equal marriage will be approved, but it is not accurate to say that it is valid from today."

That will come when a court judge puts Thursday's decision in writing -- which appears merely a formality.

A previous constitutional court ruling recognized same-sex couples as families and ordered Congress to pass a law that would afford gay couples the same rights as heterosexual married couples.

But when a 2013 deadline for lawmakers passed, gay couples could by default formalize their unions before notaries and judges, although it was a gray area and the court's language was vague.

Activists in the gay community gathered outside the court in Bogota's historic center to celebrate the announcement, waving flags.

In July 2010, Argentina became the first Latin American country to legalize same-sex marriage, followed by Uruguay.

Brazil has de facto authorized same-sex marriage since May 2013.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Birth certificates latest battleground in Florida's gay marriage fight

MIAMI - Eight months after Florida's gay marriage ban ended, the state is not allowing hospitals to list both same-sex parents on their babies' birth certificates, according to a federal lawsuit recently filed by three gay couples.

Last week the first same-sex couple to be married in Florida, Cathy Pareto and Karla Arguello, discovered the hospital would only include the birth mother's name on the birth certificate for their twins.

They have sued, saying the Florida Bureau of Vital Statistics violates the U.S. Constitution by issuing "a certificate that falsely indicates that the child has only one parent."

Florida's ban on same-sex marriage ended on Jan. 6 after it was struck down by a judge. Then, in June the U.S. Supreme Court issued a nationwide ruling that state marriage bans are unconstitutional.

The Florida Department of Health, which handles birth certificates, responded on Thursday with a legal motion seeking clarification from a judge on whether the Supreme Court's ruling "may be read to require issuance of birth certificates to married same-sex parents."

It said current Florida law regarding birth certificates is "gender specific," referring to a mother and her husband. It added the Supreme Court ruling referred only "to the issue of same-sex marriage, not vital statistics records."

Shannon Minter, legal director of the San Francisco-based National Center for Lesbian Rights (NCLR) that is representing the plaintiffs, said most states quickly changed birth certificate rules to reflect the Supreme Court ruling, although Texas, Utah and Arkansas only did so after lawsuits were filed.

Since the ruling, legal fights over gay marriage have erupted across the country. On Thursday, the Colorado Court of Appeals said a baker cannot cite religious beliefs in refusing to make a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

The Florida plaintiffs made repeated requests to Florida officials "but enough is enough," added Minter, saying they would have preferred not to go to court.

Not having an accurate birth certificate denies children with same-sex parents normal birth rights and also prevents parents from taking care of their children's everyday needs like obtaining government benefits, said Equality Florida, which represents lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender Floridians, and is also a plaintiff in the case.

Pareto and Arguello were married in January 2015.

"The state's refusal to recognize that they have two parents and to list both of us on the birth certificates is demeaning and hurtful," Pareto said in a statement. (Reporting by David Adams; Editing by Lisa Lambert)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Profile photos turn to 'rainbow' as Pinoys 'celebrate pride'

Filipino netizens are showing their support for same-sex marriage via social networking site Facebook.

Colorful, filtered profile pictures are proliferating Facebook feeds to signify a “celebration of pride,” following a landmark US Supreme Court decision allowing same-sex marriage throughout US. The rainbow is widely used as a symbol of the LGBT community.

Through its “Celebrate Pride” application, Facebook allowed users to change their profile photos into rainbow-colored versions with ease.

Facebook founder Marc Zuckerberg said in various posts that the social networking site “is a proud supporter of Pride,” and that he rejoices with his friends and “everyone in the community who can finally celebrate their love.”

“Our country was founded on the promise that all people are created equal, and today we took another step towards achieving that promise,” said Zuckerberg.

In the Philippines, same-sex marriage is still deemed unlawful. But the recent US decision gives the Filipino LGBT community some hope.

Kim Arveen Patria, an LGBT rights advocate, said the US Supreme Court’s decision “takes the fight for gender equality forward by leaps and bounds.”

“It is true that the U.S. is not the world, but the world has its eyes on the U.S. The Philippine Supreme Court, for example, cites U.S. jurisprudence in many of its rulings. The case Obergefell v. Hodges gives me and many gender equality advocates hope. Changing our Facebook profile photos is a small manifestation of our overwhelming joy,” said Patria.

April Isiderio, married, and has one kid, said she joined the “Celebrate Pride” call because she believes “love is a choice.”

“These gay individuals should share the same choices like the rest of us. One's sexual preference should not be an issue. If you want to label your relationship and put it on paper, then the option should be the same for every kind,” she said.

CBCP's take on gay marriage
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines for its part maintained that marriage is a “permanent union of man and woman.”

“Fortunately for human persons, there is so much more to us and to our dignity than what the law prescribes,” said CBCP President, Archbishop Socrates Villegas.

He emphasized however that no Church official should “demand to know a person’s orientation.”

“All will continue to find welcome in the Church, while, under command from The Lord himself, will continue to teach what the Church has unceasingly taught,” Villegas added.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com