Fridae

Taiwan’s 24th LGBT+ Pride parade took place in Taipei on 31 October, bringing first-time marchers and returning visitors together under the theme “Our Voices, Our Journey”.

Organisers estimated that more than 170,000 people took part, according to CNA’s post-event report.

Alice Pan, 19, joined classmates for her first Taiwan Pride. The university student told CNA she was heterosexual and wanted to support people of every sexual orientation. She had attended San Francisco Pride last year and remembered people expressing themselves confidently.

William Tsai, 33, was back for his fifth parade, this time representing an LGBTQ+-friendly English-speaking club as its chair. He told CNA that visitors from abroad made the annual gathering feel like an extended family, with freedoms some couldn’t experience at home.

“Today is our gay Christmas day,” he said.

Organiser Tai Yu-hsun said Taiwan’s 2019 marriage-equality law had secured marriage rights, while unfair treatment remained part of daily life. Speaking before the march, he urged people to listen to others’ differences and move beyond labels.