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Thousands of Taiwanese rally for same-sex marriage
Thousands of gay rights supporters marched between parliament and the headquarters of Taiwan’s two main political parties, months ahead of the elections.
Same-sex marriage is becoming a ‘bigger electoral cause for voters,’ rally organizer Victoria Hsu told Reuters.
‘Young people in particular are fed up with politicians’ silence.’
Led by the Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights, the marchers shouted in front of the ruling Kuomintang’s (KMT’s) headquarters, ‘KMT, don’t be the stumbling block in equal marriage rights,’ Focus Taiwan reported.
Hsu, who is a lawyer and head of the alliance, slammed KMT for ‘repeatedly refusing to put the marriage equality bill on the agenda for discussion at the Legislative Yuan’s Judiciary and Organic Laws and Statutes Committee.
‘The final legislative session that begins in September will be the last chance for [the incumbent] lawmakers to review and pass the marriage equality bill,’ she said.
Marchers then headed to the opposition Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) headquarters urging DPP lawmakers, who have proposed the marriage equality bill, to make more effort to push the bill through.
DPP Department of Women’s Development Director Lin Ching-yi, who was there to meet the marchers, said the party has insufficient seats in the committee to do so.
Rally in Taipei for same-sex marriage on 11 July
The rally was scheduled to be held earlier in the month after the US Supreme Court’s decision on 26 June but was postponed out of respect after a devastating explosion the following day at Formosa Coast Fun water park which injured 500 people.
The marriage equality bill, which would legalize same-sex marriage and allow married gay couples to adopt children, was reviewed for the first time at the Judiciary Committee in December last year.
However it has been shelved, largely due to opposition from conservative Christian groups who have formed a network to organize rallies and petition signature collections to lobby against marriage equality.
The post Thousands of Taiwanese rally for same-sex marriage appeared first on Gay Star News.
Sylvia Tan
www.gaystarnews.com/article/thousands-of-taiwanese-rally-for-same-sex-marriage/
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