Despite the adoption of a new law on May 17, campaigns will continue to legitimize the kind of homophobic discourse that has been so prevalent in Taiwan’s traditional and social media in recent years.  

Taiwan Sentinel
Date: May 30, 2019
By: Dafydd Fell

Usually I do not accept requests to do live in studio TV interviews. Often these interviews are just a minute or two on air but the preparation, travel, waiting and recovery time mean that they are quite stressful and time consuming. However, when I was asked to appear on the BBC’s World News TV to talk about the legalization of same sex marriage in Taiwan, I could not say no. Over the last few years, many of the participants in this remarkable movement have passed through London as speakers but also as overseas students. I found it hard not to be caught up in the euphoria of the moment on May 17.

In the short interview, I tried to stress the historical significance of the legislation. Taiwan became the first country in Asia to do this, ahead of Japan and South Korea. This puts Taiwan in the same category as mainly West European countries that have legalized same-sex marriage. I also reminded the host that we only passed this legislation five years ago in the U.K. It was also important to note that this had been a long and painful struggle. Many of the activists have been victims of physical and emotional bullying and there have been martyrs. I wanted to stress why Taiwan has been able to move forward faster than its neighbors. Here the role of civil society as well as party politics has been critical. Without the 2014 Sunflower Movement and the change of ruling parties in 2016, I think we would still be some way off legalization. I also reflected on how the news will be received in the region. While it will be a boost to those fighting for LGBT rights in East Asia, it is unlikely others will follow in the near future.     [FULL  STORY]