Brian Hioeby Brian Hioe
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Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
HAND ANGEL, along with other civil society groups, demonstrated on Saturday in western Taipei. The rally called for affirming the right to emotional and physical intimacy of people with disabilities.
Specifically, the rally called for the decriminalization of sex work, as well as the creation of accessible spaces for intimacy for people with disabilities.
To this extent, the rally called for broader accessibility in public spaces for people with disabilities. The rally also demanded that the views and perspectives of people with disabilities be incorporated into education.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
The rally began at 2 PM at the Taipei Cinema Park, which is located in the Ximending area. After weaving through the streets of Xinmending, the rally proceeded past Taipei Main Station, before coming to an end at the Control Yuan. At the Control Yuan, a petition was presented by demonstrators to government officials, calling on the government to protect the rights of individuals with disabilities.
Placards held by participants read “Different bodies, same desire” in Chinese, as well as “Give me a hand” in English. Chants by participants included, “I want to make love, no more waiting.”
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
While passing by the Cinema Street in Ximending, a street with many theaters, speakers called attention to the lack of facilities in many theaters in Taiwan for the disabled. Individuals in wheelchairs, for example, have to strain their necks in order to watch movies. Lack of accessible seating facilities also means that they cannot watch movies alongside their loved ones. And though many theaters claim to be accessible, they in fact still have lacking facilities. Several individuals spoke of their experiences in movie theaters. Bars and nightclubs were also highlighted as institutions that frequently have lacking access for individuals with disabilities, creating difficulties for those with disabilities when dating.
To demonstrate this, an “action theater” skit was held on Cinema Street. As part of this, clingfilm was held up to represent the barriers faced by individuals with disabilities due to inadequate facilities. To represent this being overcome, the clingfilm barrier was later torn apart.
Likewise, while passing through Ximending, speakers highlighted how sex work already exists in society, but takes place in unregulated conditions. In this sense, laws do not correspond to actually existent social conditions.
Photo credit: Brian Hioe
Around 200 participated in the march, including around 20 people in wheelchairs. A number of civil society groups were present, including Non-Binary Queer Sluts, Taiwan Sex Industry and Worker Rights Advocacy, Taiwan Gender Equity Education Association, Independent Living Association Taiwan, the Collective of Sex Workers and Supporters, Raging People Act Now, the Green Party Taiwan, and Taiwan Global Greens.
Two previous marches were held in 2019 and 2020. Consequently, as the third such march by Hand Angel, this was the third march held since the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers criticized the government for failing to take into account the demands of previous marches.