Government officials joined in the jubilant First In Asia Wedding Party as Taiwan made history as the first country in Asia to register same-sex marriages.
The News Lens
Date: 2019/05/24
By: Cat Thomas
Photo Credit: 中央社CNA
As Household registration offices opened their doors on Friday morning same-sex couples across Taiwan flocked to register their marriages – the first time that this has been possible in Asia following the passing of the law legalizing same-sex marriage on May 17th.
Over in Xinyi Household Registration office under the shadow of the Taipei 101, 20 couples who had preregistered were the first in line with the Marriage Equality Coalition Taiwan marking the occasion by throwing a First in Asia Wedding Party later in the morning in association with Taipei City government. The date is the second anniversary of the court ruling which opened the way for the legislation that was passed last Friday allowing same-sex marriages to be registered.
The first couple to be registered in Xinyi was Marc(小銘) & Shane(小玄) and the registration office was swamped with media from all over the world eager to capture the moment. The couple gamely posed for the cameras as each stage was completed, from getting their marriage certificate to their new IDs being issued. Marc and Shane met in their PE class during college and have been together for 12 years then. At the beginning of 2018, after a successful marriage proposal at a Tanya Chua’s concert, they started to share their happiness on social media. After registering their marriage today, they plan to hold a wedding ceremony next month.
Shortly after the first few marriages were registered some of the newly-weds gave a press conference speaking movingly of their journeys to this day and the pride that they felt in Taiwan for making this day possible. Marc and Shane said that marriage means accompanying and being there for each other as they grow old together. Novelist Chen Xu(陳雪) pointed out “marriage is a union between two lovers. It is a free, independent and voluntary choice. Instead of being a binding institution, marriage is based on mutual consent and its beginning and conclusion cannot be forced. They only come from free will.” [FULL STORY]
