TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Over 120,000 people participated in the 20th annual Taiwan LGBT+ Pride celebration, shining a spotlight on how far Taiwan has come as well as how far it still needs to go in terms of the LGBT movement.

Even though Taiwan’s borders only began reopening to tourists on Oct. 13, the event drew visitors from all over the world. Among the attendees was musician and activist Sandee Chan, who was this year’s Rainbow Ambassador, dozens of pro-LGBT businesses, including event sponsors Gilead, 50% Fifty Percent, DIKE Double Life, and ModelTV, and over 20 LGBT-focused non-governmental organizations like the Taiwan Tongzhi (LGBTQ+) Hotline Association and Amnesty International Taiwan.

“It’s not about the business, it’s about human equality, and it’s about how we show up to support the community, to work with the community, and also to educate about health equality,” Gilead Taiwan General Manager Pongo Peng said.

In on-the-ground interviews, attendees reflected on their main takeaways from the Pride 2022, with particular focus on the LGBT community, Taiwan’s leadership on LGBT rights, and the next steps for the LGBT movement.

COMMUNITY AND VISIBILITY

For many participants in Taiwan LGBT+ Pride, the parade provides a safe space to be themselves without fear of judgment. They said they come to Pride to feel like they’re part of a community.

“[Pride] means stay strong together, stay weird together, and be ourselves together,” said Szuting Kuo, who comes to Pride every year.

Jackson Chou, who took the train from Changhua to Taipei for this event, reflected on how that community has changed and grown in the past decade, largely for the better: “Maybe 10 years ago, people were forced on different sides. … But when I come here today, I see there are many other people and views than 10 years ago, so I think it means a lot for me.”

Other attendees stressed Pride’s importance in increasing LGBT visibility, including manifestations of LGBT identity outside the mainstream.

Johnny Yeh, who goes to Pride every year, said that Pride is one of his only opportunities to dress the way he wants in public: “For me, I like to dress differently today, and it is almost the only chance for me to wear [different types of clothes] on the street.”

Kristin Foss, a teacher from the U.S. who works in Taipei, discussed the power of visibility in influencing attitudes: “Pride means, to me, being out to the people in my life, at my work. As a teacher, it means being a representative of the queer community, so that kids know it’s OK to be gay, kids can come to me if they want to talk about it. Just celebrating that part of me.”

Taiwan as a Global Leader

As part of the 20th anniversary celebration, Pride 2022 put the current Taiwanese LGBT community within its historical context. The event included reflections on Taiwan’s role in the global LGBT movement, particularly in Asia. Taiwan has implemented legal protections against sexuality or gender-based discrimination and became the first and only Asian country to legalize same-sex marriage in 2019.

“This Pride is the Taiwanese 20th anniversary, and I think it is a monument for LGBTQ people,” said Jeff Shieh, who walked in the Pride parade for the first time today. “I think Taiwan gives all people the right to show themselves. Today people can just be themselves and to show themselves to other people to know LGBTQ rights.”

Eric Lau, an American who traveled to Taipei for today’s Pride event, also spoke on Taiwan’s role in setting an example for other countries around the world: “I think the evolution to acceptance of cultures in this world is sometimes natural, but at the same time, it takes leaders to really drive that forward. I think everything that’s been happening [in Taiwan] is great.”

The Future of LGBT Rights in Taiwan

Although Taiwan has made great strides toward LGBT equality, Taiwan LGBT+ Pride organizers made efforts to ensure that this year’s celebration also raised awareness of issues that the LGBT community continues to face.

“Taiwan is really friendly to LGBT groups, but I think the older generation doesn’t really understand,” said Catie Su, who came to Taiwan LGBT+ Pride to support the LGBT community. “I think we can work harder on that. I think it’s just different values, but I think they can be really friendly and accepting if we have better communication.”

In addition to combating persisting stigma and discrimination, speakers and non-governmental organizations at Pride emphasized legal changes that could be made regarding inequality in cross-national marriage and adoption - concerns which were echoed by attendees.

Although same-sex marriage is legal in Taiwan, if one spouse is a citizen of a country in which same-sex marriage is not legal, then the marriage is not valid. Likewise, if a same-sex couple wants to adopt a child, they cannot both be recognized as legal parents unless one of them is biologically related to the child.

Further, with the theme of “An Unlimited Future,” this year’s Pride worked to deconstruct existing norms surrounding sexuality and gender. The organizers hope that, moving forward, Taiwan LGBT+ Pride will help increase acceptance of unconventional expressions of gender and relationships.

“We’re human, all of us are human,” said June Chong, who first attended Taiwan LGBT+ Pride four years ago. “I think we shouldn’t be categorized as male or female or she or him, I think we should be categorized as a human being. We have the right to be happy, successful, and everything. That’s what Pride’s about."