gay marriage in Taiwan

Mobilizing Crisis, Material Inequality, and Ideological Splits

Wen Liu
On November 24, five of the national referendum results show overwhelming opposition against the legalization of same-sex marriage and a gender equality education in grade school that would include LGBTQ issues. While there are many questions that remain to be answered through a more detailed analysis of the voting data, we are here writing as activists to reflect on the movement and offering some observations and directions on how we may want to move forward from here...
#22EnglishGender/SexualityNovember 2018Social Movements10 min read

Conservative Forces on the Rise in Taiwan After Progressive Civil Society’s Defeat in 2018 Elections

Brian Hioe
There would seem to be no greater indicator of progressive civil society’s defeats in 2018 local elections more than its losses across the board in terms of the referendums it pushed for. However, the situation seems to set to get bleaker in the near future. Conservative groups have now realized that referendums may be one way for them to force their political agendas through...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Politics5 min read

Progressive Taiwanese Civil Society Sees Defeat By Way Of National Referendum

Brian Hioe
The results of referendum voting will no doubt come as a great shock to progressive Taiwanese civil society with, quite literally, all of the referendum proposals they championed being voted down. On the other hand, all of the referendums they opposed passed. However, not all of these achieved the necessary 25% of voter participation needed to be legally binding...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Social MovementsYouth Movements10 min read

What Will Happen If Progressive Taiwanese Civil Society Is Defeated Through The Referendum?

Brian Hioe
Referendum reform has historically been pushed for by progressive civil society groups in Taiwan, as a means to resolve longstanding issues blocked by the KMT and other conservative forces. Progressive civil society groups were finally victorious in amending the Referendum Act last year, lowering the benchmarks needed to hold a referendum in Taiwan. But what if the results of referendum voting tomorrow indicate that, ironically enough, conservatives have managed to hijack the referendum and to use it against progressive civil society?...
#22EnglishNovember 2018Social MovementsTheory and History11 min read

Televised Gay Marriage Debate Suggests What Endgame Of Anti-Gay Groups Is

Brian Hioe
What emerges from a televised debate held on November 15th between New Power Party (NPP) chair Huang Kuo-chang and Tseng Pin-chieh, a professor at the College of Law at National Chung Cheng University, should be highly concerning to supporters of marriage equality in Taiwan. Namely, Tseng’s comments in the debate are highly indicative of what the aims of anti-gay groups in Taiwan are in their referendum against marriage equality, what their current strategy is, and what their endgame likely is...
#22EnglishGender/SexualityNovember 2018Social Movements12 min read

Tens Of Thousands Demonstrate In Support Of Gay Marriage In Taipei

Brian Hioe
A reported 100,000 people attended a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in support of LGBTQ rights today, with a nationwide referendum on marriage equality and LGBTQ-friendly education scheduled to take place next Saturday. Featuring musical performances and speeches and closing with a performance by heavy metal band Chthonic, fronted by New Power Party legislator Freddy Lim, that the rally would be so large was a surprise to most...
#22EnglishGender/SexualityNovember 2018Social Movements7 min read