Former vice president Wu Den-yih (吳敦義) yesterday denied having made a U-turn in his stance on legalizing homosexual marriage, saying that he has always supported it.
Wu, who was elected Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) chairman on Saturday last week, in March told reporters that same-sex marriage “gives him the creeps.”
“The family values that have been passed on for hundreds of years risk being replaced by LGBT [lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender] families and same-sex marriage. It is messed up,” Wu said at the time.
Wu on Tuesday posted a photograph of a rainbow on Facebook, with the caption: “May those who see this find happiness,” sparking controversy over his apparent U-turn on the issue.
Speaking at a news conference in Taipei yesterday, Wu said that his attitude toward same-sex marriage had been consistent — that he “fully supports” the issue.
Wu said he made the remarks in March because he was concerned about developments.
“If there is not enough planning and preparation, it could cause turmoil in society, which is not what the people want,” he said.
The remarks were poorly constructed and could have caused misunderstandings, he said.
“Some compatriots might have gone through different psychological developments. Society should treat them with respect and give them space,” he said.
“From the perspective of human rights, we should be more inclusive of these people. I hope that everyone will be granted the right to pursue happiness,” he said.
Wu said that he made clear in two interviews in January and last month that he was in favor of formulating a special act or adding a special article to the Civil Code to govern same-sex marriage, adding that he believes that these are the ways legislation should be carried out in accordance with Tuesday’s Constitutional Interpretation No. 748 by the Council of Grand Justices.
Asked by reporters whether it still gives him the creeps when he sees people advocating same-sex marriage, Wu said he was referring to LGBT families rather than gay marriage, adding that he lacked a thorough understanding of the issue when he made the comments.
Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) spokeswoman Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) said that the DPP was surprised to see the “Chinese white dolphin” take another turn, but commended Wu for having the courage to own up to his mistake and “turn in the right direction.”
“Chinese white dolphin” is a nickname Wu was given when he was premier for saying that the animal has an innate ability to “make turns” to avoid a landfill as part of a response to environmentalists protesting a Guoguang Petrochemical Technology Co project near the dolphins’ habitat near Taichung Harbor.
Additional reporting by Su Fang-ho
Taiwan is stepping up plans to create self-sufficient supply chains for combat drones and increase foreign orders from the US to counter China’s numerical superiority, a defense official said on Saturday. Commenting on condition of anonymity, the official said the nation’s armed forces are in agreement with US Admiral Samuel Paparo’s assessment that Taiwan’s military must be prepared to turn the nation’s waters into a “hellscape” for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA). Paparo, the commander of the US Indo-Pacific Command, reiterated the concept during a Congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. He first coined the term in a security conference last
Prosecutors today declined to say who was questioned regarding alleged forgery on petitions to recall Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislators, after Chinese-language media earlier reported that members of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Youth League were brought in for questioning. The Ministry of Justice Investigation Bureau confirmed that two people had been questioned, but did not disclose any further information about the ongoing investigation. KMT Youth League members Lee Hsiao-liang (李孝亮) and Liu Szu-yin (劉思吟) — who are leading the effort to recall DPP caucus chief executive Rosalia Wu (吳思瑤) and Legislator Wu Pei-yi (吳沛憶) — both posted on Facebook saying: “I
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,912) for advertisements that exceed its approved business scope, requiring the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license may be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter enforcement of Chinese e-commerce platforms and measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan in response to US President Donald Trump’s heavy tariffs on China. The Legislative Yuan’s Finance Committee met today to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report. Democratic Progressive Party Legislator Kuo Kuo-wen (郭國文) said
The Ministry of Economic Affairs has fined Taobao NT$1.2 million (US$36,900) for advertisements that exceeded its approved business scope and ordered the Chinese e-commerce platform to make corrections in the first half of this year or its license would be revoked. Lawmakers have called for stricter supervision of Chinese e-commerce platforms and more stringent measures to prevent China from laundering its goods through Taiwan as US President Donald Trump’s administration cracks down on origin laundering. The legislature’s Finance Committee yesterday met to discuss policies to prevent China from dumping goods in Taiwan, inviting government agencies to report on the matter. Democratic Progressive Party
RSS