Sun, Mar 05, 2017 page3

• Protesters hold rally against same-sex marriage in Taipei

  • By Abraham Gerber / Staff reporter
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  More than 100 white-shirted protesters held a rally against same-sex marriage outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

  Calling themselves the Baby’s Breath Layman Alliance, protesters in surgical masks waved bouquets of white flowers while shouting their rejection of “rainbow terror,” homosexual marriage, homosexual education and giving National Health Insurance coverage to foreigners with HIV/AIDS.

  While protesters called themselves “a million old geezers” in support of anti-same sex marriage columnist Tseng Yu-wen (曾有文), most were parents accompanied by their children, many of whom had their pictures taken with the several protesters in inflatable dinosaur costumes who wandered around the site.

  

  Members of an anti-gay group calling itself Baby’s Breath Layman Alliance demonstrate outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday holding up signs reading: “Declaration of three rejections against the invasion of our safety: Refuse national health insurance for foreigners with AIDS; refuse homosexual education in schools; refuse same-sex legislation which will hurt Taiwan.”

  Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

  After shouting slogans, protesters settled down to consume free packages of instant noodles provided by event organizers while watching a series of protest skits and speeches throughout the afternoon.

  “We are here because the Council of Grand Justices is set to begin hearings on the constitutionality of homosexual marriage later this month,” said a man surnamed Tsou (鄒), who said he was a core alliance official.

  Many participants in the event requested anonymity and it lacked a clear official spokesman.

  

  A man and a young boy share a bowl of noodles at a demonstration organized by the anti-gay group Baby’s Breath Layman Alliance outside the Legislative Yuan in Taipei yesterday.

  Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times

  Tsou denied any connection with the Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation and Alliance of Taiwan Religious Groups for the Protection of the Family, which in the past have organized several major demonstrations against homosexual marriage, instead saying that the Baby’s Breath Layman Alliance was organized online by like-minded parents.

  The rally fell far short of the numbers achieved at earlier demonstrations, which attracted thousands of participants.

  While many opponents of homosexual marriage have advocated the passage of a special law granting marriage-like rights, yesterday’s protesters were opposed to such a measure.

  “As soon as you open that door, there will just be demands for more and the passage of formal same-sex marriage legislation will just be a matter of time,” Tsou said.

  “There needs to be more recognition of the importance of healthy families,” a woman surnamed Lin (林) said, adding that she has participated in Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation rallies.

  “I am not a religious believer, much less a Christian, but it is important to stand up for Taiwan, the next generation and family values,” said a man surnamed Lin (林), who said he had also participated in earlier rallies.

  “Other than the emphasis on AIDS, many of the demands are basically the same [as previous protests against same-sex marriage],” said Lee Ching-ya (李靜亞), a protester previously observed speaking at Coalition for the Happiness of Our Next Generation rallies who said he was an alliance volunteer.

  He directed yesterday’s slogan shouting.
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