By Siobhán O’Grady and
Olivier Laurent
May 17 at 11:00 AM
Throngs of Taiwanese took to the streets of Taipei to celebrate their parliament voted to legalize same-sex marriage, becoming the first legislature in Asia to do so.
Photos from Taiwan show celebrants erupting in cheers and embracing one another after the announcement on Friday.
And even when it started raining on the celebrations, they kept the party going as they huddled under umbrellas or wrapped themselves in ponchos. Some carried rainbow flags and maps of Taiwan decorated in rainbow. Others cracked open bottles of beer on city streets to toast the decision.
Advocates for LGBT rights hope Taiwan’s legalization of same-sex marriage will spark a ripple effect across Asia, where some countries are already inching toward marriage equality. [FULL STORY]