Lorraine Panby Lorraine Pan
語言:
English /// 中文
Photo Credit: Brian Hioe
CAN GENDER EQUITY issues like women’s and LGBTQ rights be discussed along with Taiwan independence? Is there one more important and urgent topic among all the issues concerning different marginalized people? When issues such as feminism and LGBTQ rights are discussed together with social news, there is often criticism that talking about marginalized people is a way to distract people and divert public resources from the issue of Taiwan independence. However, from a decolonial perspective, gender equity and Taiwan independence move in the same direction and support each other.
Let’s start by talking about Taiwan’s situation as a small power. Although Taiwan plays an important role in both economic development and international affairs, it is still often regarded as a small power for being a neighbor of China and Japan, two countries with larger populations, more territory, and greater international visibility. As a non-Western country, different from the UK and the US, Taiwan’s visibility in international discussions is weakened again. This has also led to voices suggesting that Taiwan should rely on the US or Japan to show its strength in discussions about Taiwan independence. However, Taiwan has a unique culture, history, and community that are different from any other country and should be respected as an independent entity. Rather than calling Taiwan a small power, it is more accurate to say that the dominance of mainstream power politics has ignored and looked down on Taiwan’s voice.
Though a small power, Taiwan has the freedom not to be devastated by the great power and to maintain its own autonomy.
In recent years, the Chinese government has used policies, including the Promotion of Standard Chinese, to impose cultural genocide on Hongkongers, Tibetans, Uyghurs, and Southern Mongolians. This push for cultural hegemony has increasingly eroded both the living spaces and cultural heritage of these marginalized people. The same kinds of violations in China also happen to other marginalized groups, such as laborers, women, and LGBTQ people. In China’s nationalist narrative, “putting national interest first” (以大局為重) is a common excuse. The Chinese government uses the idea of national interest to stir up national sentiment and encourage people to make sacrifices, while silencing any voices speaking up for marginalized communities. Following this logic, the population of over twenty-three million people in Taiwan is seen as less important than the goal of China’s so-called “great unification”（統一大業）in the eyes of the Chinese government. In contrast to China’s totalitarianism, Taiwan’s pursuit and commitment to democracy have made Taiwanese an independent and free people. Taiwan’s independence creates a space where women and LGBTQ people can gain rights and speak up, while the development of gender equity and feminism further strengthens Taiwan’s identity as independent and different from China.
Regarding the global society as a whole, Taiwanese people are a minority compared to Chinese people. Although China has great influence globally, and some countries acquiesce to and condone China’s violations out of fear, we, the advocates of Taiwanese democracy and freedom, still choose to resist Chinese totalitarianism. Different groups around the world support the Taiwanese people for the same reason—supporting Taiwan means being hated by China, but defending democracy and freedom leads us to speak up for Taiwan, which is under threat.
Self-determination is a key part of decolonial issues, including national independence, gender equity, and Indigenous rights. While China is trying to invade Taiwan in the same way it has carried out colonialism and oppression toward other people, supporting and advocating for Taiwan’s independence is an important part of decolonialism. As Anti-Americanism continues to rise, falling into the trap of relying on another great power, such as China, would make resistance superficial. Criticism of capitalism and colonialism should not only focus on the power politics of America but also include other non-Western authorities like Russia and China.
Although the support for national independence from decolonial leftists may appear similar to the stance of some nationalists, the logic and background are actually different. Nationalism is not the same as national independence: National independence advocates for transitional justice, including Indigenous rights, LGBTQ equity, and justice for other marginalized people. On the other hand, the community built by nationalism often sacrifices marginalized groups. It is no wonder then why Trump and his supporters shifted their views from being anti-China and anti-Russia to pro-Russia and anti-Ukraine—the main goal of nationalism is to build a community based on great power, rather than on the people. When the pursuit of self-interest becomes more important than human values, great powers often work together.
Social issues related to the rights and justice of marginalized people and the support for national self-determination are interrelated. Therefore, arguments suggesting that minorities should be sacrificed for the majority or criticizing gender equity advocacy as undermining solidarity are not reasonable. More and more women and LGBTQ people are speaking up for Taiwan in social movements, advocacy issues, and other forums, expressing their identities. Moreover, advocating for those who face gender-based disadvantages and speaking up for them is also an integral part of national independence and transitional justice. Promoting equal pay for equal work, gender equity education, and sexual harassment prevention is not only as important as national independence but also contributes to the decolonial movement by resisting injustice.
National independence is a feminist issue, and gender equity is an important aspect of self-determination. Gender equity and Taiwan’s independence should align within the framework of decolonialism and justice.