Taiwanese gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei: a referendum is not the way to go when it comes to human rights

Taiwan News 
Date: 2018/04/18
By: Sophia Yang, Taiwan News, Staff Writer

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Taiwan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) passed three referendum proposals made by local anti-gay groups on Tuesday to bring issues of same-sex marriage and gender equality education to public debate.

Taiwanese gay rights activist Chi Chia-wei (祈家威) and the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR) protested at the CEC building after the decision was made Tuesday evening. Chi said that a referendum is not the way to go when it comes to basic human rights.

Other LGBT organizations in Taiwan are also upset with the CEC’s decision. Equallove called on President Tsai Ing-wen to fulfill her promise to support marriage equality while running for office, saying that Taiwan has come so far to embrace diversity, including a landmark ruling by the constitutional court in favor of same-sex marriage last year. “We should safeguard the hard-won progress,” says the group on its FB page.  [FULL  STORY]