Taiwan Becomes the First Asian Country to Legalize Same-Sex Marriage
By: Commonwealth Magazine
Tags: Gay Rights, Gay Marriage, LGBTQ, Taiwan, Marriage Equality

As the United Nations marked the International Day Against Homophobia, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage.

By CommonWealth Magazine

中英切換

As the Legislative Yuan voted on a special law on same sex marriage, more than 40,000 supporters of equal marriage rights stood outside in the rain demonstrating their steadfast support.

At the same time anti-LGBT groups held a press conference at the conference center of National Taiwan University Hospital to voice their demands.

Two years ago, the Council of Grand Justices ruled that denying gay couples the right to marry violated the Constitution and gave legislators two years time to make relevant legal changes.

Following a referendum, in which a majority supported drafting a special law instead of applying the marriage chapter in the Civil Code to same sex couples, the controversy between supporters and opponents of same sex marriage continued unabated.

Initially Taiwan’s cabinet, the Executive Yuan, proposed a bill with a neutral title: Enforcement Act on the Council of Grand Justices Interpretation №748.

The Happiness of the Next Generation Alliance sponsored a second bill called Draft Enforcement Act on Referendum №12 which was introduced to the legislature by Lai Shyh-bao, a lawmaker with the major opposition Nationalist Party (KMT).

A third version (Draft Enforcement Act on the Council of Grand Justices Interpretation №748 and Referendum Nr. 12) proposed by the Hope, Faith and Love Foundation was introduced by Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) legislator Lin Tai-hua.

So which version will prevail after all? Will the right of gay couples to marry be protected by the May 24 deadline? Across the country people were holding their breath whether gay couples will be able to register their marriages.

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The most crucial part of the Executive Yuan version is Article 4. Around 1 p.m. the article was passed with an overwhelming majority in its second reading. Supporters of the bill outside the legislature cheered as they heard the news.

Originally Article 4 of the government bill read: “A relationship as in Article 2 must be established in writing, signed by at least two witnesses, and the document must be taken to the household registration agency by the two interested parties for registration.”

After a minor change Article 4 clearly states that same sex couples carry out a “marriage registration.”

The modified Article 4 reads: “A relationship as in Article 2 must be established in writing, signed by at least two witnesses, and the document must be taken to the household registration agency by the two interested parties, pursuant to the intention of Council of Grand Justices Interpretation №748 and pursuant to this Act, to complete marriage registration.”

The Legislative Yuan’s voting on the same sex marriage bills takes place under the spotlight of the international media. The Guardian, CNN and other media were covering the legislative debate and broadcast news bulletins.

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