A group of mass communications students from Chinese Culture Universtiy yesterday voiced their support for Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Chairperson Tsai Ing-wen’s (蔡英文) gender policy, saying that they plan to launch an online petition endorsing Tsai’s gender policy platform to encourage Taiwan to implement policies protecting gay rights.
The students spoke out after Tsai recently announced her gender policy platform, which aims to “promote respect for the rights of people with different gender orientations, to enhance public awareness on gender diversity, to enhance the understanding of government workers on gender diversity” as well as revising laws that are discriminatory to people with non-mainstream gender orientations.
Voicing their support for Tsai’s gender policy agenda, the students urged the public to pay attention to the rights of gay people.
Photo: Chang Chia-ming, Taipei Times
At the press conference yesterday, one of the students dressed up as Lady Gaga — who is an advocate for gay rights — and danced to her hit song Born This Way.
Convener of the student group Tsai Yu-hui (蔡語慧) said she thinks Tsai Ing-wen is very brave to raise gay-friendly policies before the election, since not many politicians would be willing to do so.
A student surnamed Kuo (郭) said that while President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九), who is seeking re-election, and Tsai Ing-wen have both previously been questioned about their sexual orientation, only Tsai Ing-wen and the DPP have seriously faced the issue and are more accepting of gender diversity.
Ma, on the other hand, has not done anything concrete to promote gay rights, Kuo said, adding that Minister of Education Wu Ching-ji (吳清基) recently halted a plan to implement a school curriculum on the gay issue based on there being “no social consensus.”
While agreeing with Tsai Ing-wen’s ideas, Tsai Yu-hui said the students hope Tsai Ing-wen will clarify how the DPP plans to meet its gender policy aims.
The group suggested that some concrete measures should include allowing gay marriage, protecting gays’ right to work and implementing a gay-friendly curriculum on campus.
DPP Taipei City Councilor Ho Chi-wei (何志偉), who is also the deputy executive director of Tsai Ing-wen’s Taipei City campaign office, said the DPP has long stood beside disadvantaged groups and promised the DPP would reveal more detailed plans on promoting gay rights in a policy white paper to be released prior to January’s presidential election.
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