Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers yesterday pledged to renew a push to amend the Civil Code to legalize same-sex marriage, while the New Power Party (NPP) unveiled similar draft legislation.
“While many local governments accept household registrations from same-sex couples, it is just an executive measure that does not give them full legal rights,” DPP Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) told a news conference at the legislature in Taipei.
A dozen DPP lawmakers in rainbow caps waved rainbow flags while shouting their support for gay marriage during the news conference.
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
Yu, who was one of the sponsors of an amendment to revise the Civil Code in the previous legislative session, said a new amendment has been submitted with the support of 40 lawmakers, including Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Jason Hsu (許毓仁).
The proposal would legalize same-sex marriage by changing the law’s definition of the constituents of a marriage from a “man and woman” to “two sides.”
“Many people have been asking why no amendment has been submitted and the reason is that details are important, and we have been putting a lot of thought into what should be covered,” she said. “This time we want an overall rule added: Gays and heterosexuals will have the right to equally enjoy the benefits of marriage, including parental authority over children and freedom from discrimination in adoption cases.”
Photo: Chien Jung-fong, Taipei Times
“There is also a need for a partnership law, but it should apply equally to heterosexuals and gays,” Yu said, referring to a draft bill proposed by the Ministry of Justice.
DPP Legislator Lin Ching-yi (林靜儀), cosponsor of the proposed amendment, avoided the question whether it was supported by President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文), calling for the public to pay attention to Tsai’s actions and promises.
The Chinese-language >>>Liberty Times>>> (the >>>Taipei Times>>>’ sister newspaper) said that Tsai would issue a public statement this week on same-sex marriage ahead of the first national gay pride parade during her administration.
The NPP draped its office building with a rainbow banner to show its support for same-sex marriage, as its caucus detailed its proposed amendments.
Amendments to the Family Act (家事事件法) are being proposed as the first step of what NPP Executive Chairman Huang Kuo-chang (黃國昌) said would be an extensive revision of related laws, such as those governing benefits afforded to relatives of government employees.
The proposed DPP and NPP amendments were criticized by the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan, with several protesters demonstrating outside the gates of the Legislative Yuan.
“What gay activists want is for their lifestyle to be affirmed by society, but why do they need to change the traditional institution of marriage, which goes back thousands of years?” alliance secretary-general Chang Shou-yi (張守一) said.
Chang said legalization would encourage young people to experiment with gay life and open the door to polyamory.
Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China when traveling in countries with close ties to Beijing, Taiwan Association of University Professors deputy chairman Chen Li-fu (陳俐甫) said on Friday. Chen’s comments came after China on Friday last week announced new judicial guidelines targeting Taiwanese independence advocates. Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Djibouti are among the countries where Taiwanese could risk being extradited to China, he said. The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Thursday elevated the travel alert for China, Hong Kong and Macau to “orange” after Beijing announced its guidelines to “severely punish Taiwanese independence diehards for splitting the country and inciting secession.” Extradition treaties
Taiwan and Thailand have signed an agreement to promote and protect bilateral investment and trade, the Executive Yuan’s Office of Trade Negotiations (OTN) said on Friday. The agreement on “Promotion and Protection of Investments” was signed by Representative to Thailand Chang Chun-fu (張俊福) and Thailand Trade and Economic Office in Taipei executive director Narong Boonsatheanwong on Thursday, the OTN said in a news release. Thailand has become the fifth trading partner to sign an investment agreement with Taiwan since 2016, following earlier agreements with the Philippines, India, Vietnam and Canada, the OTN said. The deal marks a significant milestone in the development of
The entire Alishan Forest Railway line is to reopen for the first time in 15 years on Saturday, with tickets to go on sale at 2pm today. The historic railway from Chiayi to Alishan (阿里山) is finally set to reopen after the completion of the final No. 42 tunnel, Alishan Forest Railway and Cultural Heritage Office Deputy Director-General Chou Heng-kai (周恆凱) said. It is to run on a new timetable, with four trains daily, he said. The 9am train is to depart from Chiayi Railway Station bound for Shizilu Station (十字路), while the 10am train departing from Chiayi is to go all the
CROSS-BORDER CRIME: The suspects cannot be charged with cybercrime in Indonesia as their targets were in Malaysia, an Indonesian immigration director said Indonesian immigration authorities have detained 103 Taiwanese after a raid at a villa on Bali, officials said yesterday. They were accused of misusing their visas and residence permits, and are suspected of possible cybercrimes, Safar Muhammad Godam, director of immigration supervision and enforcement at the Indonesian Ministry of Law and Human Rights told reporters at a news conference. “The 103 foreign nationals stayed at the villa and conducted suspicious activities, which we suspect are activities related to cybercrime activities,” he said, presenting laptops and routers at the news conference. Godam said Indonesian authorities cannot charge them with conducting cybercrime. “During the inspection, we