12 Feb 2018

Gay Rights Coalition Pushes Taiwan to Legalise Same-Sex Marriage

The move follows a 2017 court ruling that gay couples had the right to marry.

Five gay rights groups have purchased billboard space in Taipei calling for same-sex marriage to be legalised, Taiwan News reported. 

A 2017 constitutional decision declared that gay couples would have the right to marry within two years in Taiwan. Representatives of the coalition responsible for the billboard say they would like to see President Tsai Ing-wen and Premier William Lai be “more proactive” on implementing the shift. 

According to Taiwan News, the billboard features two women with babies, accompanied by the statement: “We are both mothers of the children. How long do we have to wait for equal rights to marry?”

Without legislative action toward legalisation, Taiwan’s LGBT community remains unable to form marital unions. The push coincides with pressure from an anti-gay marriage lobby, which some in the country speculate could ask for a public vote on the issue. This, Taiwan News reported, could then “impact future legislation.”