The fight for gender equality
The Taiwan LGBT+ Pride parade came and went at the end of last month. After days of introspection, I could not help reminisce back to 2018, when I took to the streets to make public speeches and engage in conversations with passersby, all with the aim to push for same-sex marriage recognition under the country’s Civil Code in the referendum.
The result proved to be a heavy blow for marriage equality advocates. I remember when results for the referendum came in, many friends of mine added a rainbow design to their profile pictures as a form of consolation. At the time, the result was disappointing and heartbreaking.
From celebrated gay rights advocate Chi Chia-wei’s (祁家威) individual battle to more than 3 million “Yes’’ votes in the referendum, Taiwan has seen more than 30 years of tireless campaigning and I have seen more people standing up and raising their voices to support the LGBT+ community and gender equality.
We will not forget that the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) tried its best to oppose the bill, or the anti-same-sex marriage banners hanging in the streets and alleys. We still remember Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Chairman and presidential candidate Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) who said: “Personally, I would vote ‘No,’ but I think it’s fine for the LGBT+ to take to the streets” out of his own political interests. On the issue of same-sex marriage and many others, Ko has always been a prominent political flip-flopper. We would never forget those predecessors that have sweated and toiled to fight for our freedom and rights.
The path to gender equality has never been smooth. Two students of Taipei First Girls’ High School were found dead by the police in a hotel in Suao Township (蘇澳), Yilan, on July 25, 1994. They ended their lives by burning charcoal and their suicide note contained the words: “My feelings for you are deep, but the society won’t allow this or us to be together.”
On the morning of April 20, 2000, Yeh Yung-chih (葉永鋕), who had been constantly bullied by his schoolmates due to his alleged effeminate behavior, asked his teacher if he could go to the bathroom before class ended. A few minutes later, his lifeless body was found on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood.
On a twilight evening in October 2011, a student surnamed Yang studying at Lujiang Junior High School jumped from the seventh floor of the building for being bullied due to his sexuality. He had written in a note: “Even though people will be sad for my passing, it will only be temporary, because this is humanity.”
We must not forget, nor can we fear, for without us, who would be the catcher in the rye for these minorities? For the sake of them, we cannot back down, but must push forward relentlessly.
In December 2016, Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) Legislator Yu Mei-nu (尤美女) and others proposed a bill on amending the Civil Code to legalize same-sex marriage, and the bill cleared the first reading after deliberation by the Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee. On Feb. 20, 2019, then-premier Su Tseng-chang (蘇貞昌) invited DPP legislators to discuss a special new draft law on same-sex marriage. The new draft bill, called “The Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748,” (司法院釋字第748號解釋施行法) was the first bill created in the name of constitutional interpretation of same-sex marriage and was designed to avoid disputes between the two sides of the debate on marriage for same-sex couples.
On May 16, 2019, Su convened an administrative legislation coordination meeting and sent the slightly modified version proposed by the Executive Yuan into its third reading. Sensitive words such as “same-sex marriage” were changed to allow same-sex couples to “register for marriage.” Su also called on fellow party members to support it by saying that they would be on the right side of history.
On May 17, 2019, lawmakers held an article-by-article vote on the Enforcement Act of Judicial Yuan Interpretation No. 748 and finally hailed the passage of the law. It was a historic moment for the nation and Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.
Even though social values could not be altered overnight, we will still remember that in terms of gender equality, the DPP and other representatives have always been the pioneers who keep pushing for reform, with the fight for human rights and values as their ultimate goal. To this day, they could still be suffering the poltical consequences of supporting same-sex marriage, but they have remained resolute on the matter.
In contrast, Ko and the TPP were conveniently absent from the parade this year, while the KMT’s youth wing formed a voluntary group to join in the event. The DPP rounded up more than 100 party members to join in the parade with Vice President William Lai (賴清德) as the leader.
As Charles Dickens once said: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” We have always had each other’s back and look how far we have come in achieving gender equality. No matter how many obstacles lie ahead, we will keep up with our efforts and believe that a rainbow awaits at the end of the tunnel.
Su Pei-ken
Taipei
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