A sex worker advocacy group on Tuesday called on the public to stop discriminating against workers at tea houses in Taipei’s Wanhua District (萬華).
A kind of tea house common in the district, called “A-gong Diam” (阿公店) in Hoklo (commonly known as Taiwanese), has deep roots in Wanhua, where they offer much-needed social interactions to older residents, the Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters said.
The tea houses’ reputation has taken a hit amid an outbreak of local COVID-19 infections since last week that health authorities have traced back to establishments in Wanhua.
The tea houses are important to the district’s local economy and culture, and services offered there are not exclusively related to sex, the group said.
DIVERSE OFFERINGS
While some of them offer such services, their main role is offering opportunities for social interaction for older residents, it said.
The tea houses offer a social space for elderly people that can be compared to KTVs for younger people, the group said, adding that not just older residents find emotional and social support there, but the businesses also help disadvantaged women, especially single mothers, have an income.
People should consider the social role of the tea houses, the group said, calling on the public not to discriminate against those who visit the establishments or work there.
All tea houses in Wanhua have suspended operations after the outbreak, it said, adding that slander against the establishments would not help improve the pandemic situation.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association