Taiwan divided over same-sex marriage discussion

Record ID: 162326

  • Title: Taiwan divided over same-sex marriage discussion
  • Date: 25th December 2016
  • Summary: TAIPEI, TAIWAN (DECEMBER 22, 2016) (REUTERS) JOVI WU (L), MINDY CHIU AND HER CHILD EATING AT RESTAURANT CHIU LOOKING ON WU EATING CHILD LOOKING AROUND VARIOUS OF THE THREE WALKING ON STREET WU MAKING POSTER FOR RALLY ON WU'S DAUGHTER STANDING ON UNFINISHED POSTER READING (English): "WE ARE GAY, WE ARE YOUR CHILD" LITTLE GIRL WALKING TO TABLE TO GRAB STRAWBERRY (SOUNDBITE)
  • Embargoed: 9th January 2017 07:33
  • Keywords: LGBT marriage law parliament
  • Location: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • City: TAIPEI, TAIWAN
  • Country: Taiwan
  • Topics: Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA0015EDQ8UD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: The public in Taiwan was divided as the parliament is entering another round of discussion about legalising same-sex marriage on Monday (December 26).
    Jovi Wu lives together with her four-year-old daughter in the northern part of Taiwan and runs an internet business from home.
    Mindy Chiu is her girlfriend.
    The two refer to each other as "wife" and although they currently live apart, they spend a lot of time together. The only thing that is preventing them from getting married is the absence of a law in Taiwan that would grant same-sex couples the right to get married.
    But since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May, the discussion on the passing of a law which would allow same-sex couples to be married has been reignited and many within the LGBT community are hoping for a breakthrough this time around. If the law was changed Taiwan would become the first country in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage.
    Parliament is set to discuss the issue on Monday (December 26). Wu and Chiu's little family is preparing posters for a rally they plan to participate in outside the building.
    The absence of marriage equality does not affect the couple in their daily lives, Wu says, but their relationship has no legal backing and has a serious effect on life-or-death decisions.
    It is difficult for single people in Taiwan to have children as they are not allowed to undergo in vitro fertilization which means homosexual couples cannot have children easily. Wu sought medical assistance abroad when she wanted to have a child with her previous partner.
    "If I go out and drive a scooter together with my child, if all three of us go out and an accident happens, if an accident happens, she (her girlfriend) can't sign a medical consent form for me. Because I personally already decided that in case that medical tubes (for life support) need to be taken out, if the situation is very severe, I hope not to be treated anymore so I can leave this world. But she has no means to help me decide this sort of thing, because this can only be agreed on by (legal) family members," she said.
    "Is (Taiwan's society) mature or not? I think there still needs to be much more conversation, because I think our community is trying to talk to society in a very reasonable way to tell them that being gay is not a crime and also not a disease. We are just the same as regular and normal people and we need our rights. Right, because we are the same with everyone in society, we also do all the things that they do. But we still don't have the right to marry, we don't have the right to care for our other half. This is very unfair towards the homosexual community," Chiu added.
    Those who are against same-sex marriages say such unions are not "natural" and the issue is not just a matter of individual choice.
    "The (same-sex marriage) supporters have been emphasising that it's a thing between two people, but I think that since it (legalising same-sex marriage) is about the country's law, it is something related to the country. Even though you want to establish a law, the government is supposed to have some more follow-up, complete supplementary (laws) in education and other things," said college student Tseng Yu-fang.
    Conservative religious groups have been staging efforts to halt the amendments to Taiwan's civil code by either calling for a referendum or demanding the establishment of a special law that would allow for same-sex couples to register partnerships.
    Nevertheless, Taiwan is regarded as one the most LGBT-friendly places in Asia, annually hosting the biggest gay pride event in the region with tens of thousands of participants from throughout Asia.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2016. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register