More than 180,000 people yesterday celebrated LGBTQ+ equality and diversity in Taipei at East Asia’s largest Pride march, joined by Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) and the reigning queen of RuPaul’s Drag Race, Nymphia Wind.
Taiwan legalized same-sex marriage in 2019 in a first for East Asia, a region where the rights of sexual minorities are often either suppressed or outlawed.
The theme of the 22nd iteration of the march was “embracing inclusion,” said Fletcher Hong (小鯨), chairman of the Taiwan Rainbow Civil Action Association, the parade’s organizer.
Photo: Daniel Ceng, EPA-EFE
Inclusion has long been a goal of the LGBTQ+ community and the organizers hope that every person can be included in making national decisions and that people can respect each other’s differences, he said.
Regarding criticism of a ruling that allows Taiwanese to change their gender on their national identification card without reassignment therapy, Hong said the LGBTQ community supports people’s right to not have their identity challenged by others.
The discourse surrounding transgender women using women’s restrooms is about sowing fear and mistrust, not protecting women’s safety, he added.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Association spokesman Simon Tai (戴佑勳) said 194 groups signed up for this year’s parade, with 100 vendors including 30 nonprofit stalls in the “rainbow market” and more than 20 vendors supporting LGBTQ-friendly hotels.
Australian, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Swedish and US representative offices and groups from Malaysia, Hong Kong and Japan joined the event, he said.
Non-governmental organizations invited to speak at the event’s stage included advocacy groups for indigenous people and people with HIV, with the latter calling for attention to inadequate long-term care for aging AIDS patients, he said.
Photo: by Yu Chien-huang, AFP
Nymphia, who won RuPaul’s Drag Race in April, appeared at the parade wearing an outfit inspired by medieval armor with a rainbow flag shoulder cape.
“I just have to come back every year for the parade,” she said, describing her armor look as representing the defense of gay rights.
Hsiao led the Democratic Progressive Party delegation, marching behind a banner reading “Be Yourself.”
Photo: Ben Blanchard, Reuters
She said Taiwanese should be proud of their hard work in making the nation a beacon of progressive values.
President William Lai (賴清德) posted a video message of support on social media, saying he could not march in person this year due to prior appointments and for security reasons.
“The government will continue to work hard to put into practice gender equality so everyone in this land of Taiwan can embrace inclusion and not fear what others think,” he said.
Photo: Liu Hsin-de, Taipei Times
Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) Legislator Vivian Huang (黃珊珊) said political parties should work together to make Taiwan a more harmonious society by supporting the right to have children regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
TPP Legislator Chen Gau-tzu (陳昭姿) said that surrogacy legalization would benefit same-sex couples that want to raise a family.
First launched in 2003, the annual Pride parade in Taipei has grown over the years to become one of the largest in Asia.
Event organizers said that the more than 180,000 people who participated in yesterday’s event was more than last year’s 176,000 attendees.
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