Lawmaker also wonders why words like 'CAT' and 'PUP' are offensive

Taiwan News
Date: 2020/08/22
By: Matthew Strong, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Gay rights groups are calling on the government to reconsider the presence of the word “GAY” on a list of 24 supposedly sensitive or obscene terms banned from the license plates of cars and scooters, reports said Saturday (Aug. 22).

In Dec. 2012, due to the growth in the number of motor vehicles, the government decided to add an extra letter to the two letters already present on registration plates. However, at the same time, it also drew up a list of 24 combinations of three letters which could not be used due to their allegedly controversial nature.

In addition to the combination “GAY,” the Ministry of Transportation’s Directorate General of Highways (DGH) also still found offense with “SEX” and “BRA,” CNA reported.

Gay rights groups said the government should end its ban and allow citizens to make a free choice as each term meant something different to different people. For some terms, it was not clear why the authorities should want to ban them, while other words were gender-related and might see their eventual negative connotation reinforced by their presence on the list, activists said.    [FULL  STORY]