military service requirement in Taiwan

Civil Society Groups Criticize Continued Attempts to Remove Transgender Draft Exemptions

Yo-Ling Chen
At 10:15 AM this morning on Transgender Day of Visibility, the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights co-hosted a press conference with Amnesty International Taiwan, Student Alliance for Gender Equality, Taiwan Non-binary Queer Sluts, and the Intersex, Transgender and Transsexual People Care Association condemning the Ministry of the Interior for procedural issues regarding changes to Taiwan’s conscription criteria that removes blanket exemptions for transgender people. Press conference attendees rallied around the slogan: “Procedural injustice and unreasonable amendments! Reject inappropriately raising draft exemption thresholds for transgender people!” Overall, the press conference revealed striking details about the Ministry of the Interior's sidelining of civil society and transgender community concerns over the past three and half months of negotiations, putting into question whether there is any hope for changing course...
EnglishGender/SexualityMarch 2026Social Movements11 min read

Taiwan LGBTQ+ Groups Criticize Conscription Criteria Amendment Requiring Alternative Service for Transgender and Intersex People

Yo-Ling Chen
Over the past two weeks, multiple LGBTQ+ groups have issued statements criticizing draft amendments to conscription criteria that would end blanket exemptions for transgender and intersex people, requiring them to instead complete an alternative substitute service. While alternative service involves conscripts being placed in institutions serving public welfare such as government agencies, police and fire departments, schools, hospitals, and even research institutions, it still requires a 26-day basic training camp, which is typically held at the Chengkungling Recruit Training Center (成功嶺新訓中心) in Taichung. In their criticism of the draft amendments, LGBTQ+ groups emphasized the deleterious effects to physical and psychological well-being that transgender and intersex conscripts face, even in alternative service, especially given the mandatory basic training component...
December 2025EnglishGender/SexualitySocial Movements10 min read